A Story of Us
by Kadi219
Summary: Raydor/Flynn - An A/U challenge I accepted for the "Shandy Fic Hiatus Marathon". What is the measure of a family? How is it built? Begins prior to "Major Crimes" during the Closer Era and spans a few years. Now Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

**A/N:** As always special thanks to my amazing beta **deenikn8** who always goes above and beyond.

This was presented to me as an A/U challenge story. Basically, to write something where the end of the Raydor marriage was not quite as clean as it is being portrayed. Oh, and while I was at it, could I do something about all of the babyfic that is popping up around the fandom. Well... what follows is nothing short of my usual brand of long-winded insanity.

All I can do is apologize profusely, but I hope you find some measure of enjoyment anyway.

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><p><strong>Prologue - The Present<strong>

"_What is a family? What do you think it means to be part of a family?_"

Rusty Beck thought he understood the answer to that question. Now he wondered if he was just saying all of the right things. Saying what was expected of him. Now he was beginning to realize that knowing the answer, and understanding it, were two very different things.

What was the definition of a family? How was it formed. That seemed pretty basic to him. How did all the songs put it? We're here because two people fell in love.

That wasn't always true. He knew that. Sometimes we're just here because two people fell in drunk. Or high. Or were just irresponsible in any number of other ways. That was the only definition of a family that he really had until about two years ago.

Nothing that he experienced with his mom and her seemingly endless string of boyfriends, or with any of the foster families he was with after she left him, could have prepared him for the reality of an actual family. It wasn't like TV or the movies either. Family wasn't built on fairytales.

It was made of real people, with real flaws, and a lot of real feelings.

Rusty knew that people weren't perfect. Oh yes, he knew that all too well. That didn't mean that they couldn't be _good_. That was another lesson that he learned along the way. Even good people made mistakes. They said the wrong things, and they did the wrong things. They tried to do better, and to be better, and generally they _were_ better.

It wasn't until it looked as if he was going to lose his family that he really began to appreciate it. He didn't know that then, though. He didn't realize that his stark terror at being sent away had more to do with being sent away from _them_ than any general sense of being shipped off to who knew where as part of some idiotic witness protection program. He made mistakes. Plenty of them. Hiding the letters from Douglas Grand was a pretty big one.

Once it was over, when he could finally breathe again. When he knew a little bit better who he was and how he fit, he began to realize that no one had ever fought for him the way that Sharon had. It wasn't about the case. It wasn't even just about keeping him safe. She fought to _keep_ him.

_"__Whatever happens, know I love you_."

For how many days, weeks, and months had those words echoed through his mind? How many people had ever told him that in his life, and actually meant it? He was sure that his mom did. In her own way. But to the rest… No, Rusty didn't really think so.

She could have sent him away. She probably _should_ have sent him away. He knew others wanted her to. Sharon wouldn't do that. She dug her heels in and she fought. People called her stubborn, and she could be. Rusty knew just how stubborn Sharon could be when she had her mind made up about something. There was no changing it. Not without a lot of logic, reason, and convincing. Even then, it could be a long shot. She wasn't just being stubborn this time. She wasn't trying to prove a point. She wanted him. No one ever wanted him like that before.

"_My son stays with me. This is his home_."

Sharon didn't know that he overheard that. He never told her. Never told anyone, actually. It freaked him out at first. Then when he really thought about it, he started to realize that maybe he loved her too. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did finally have a home, a place where he belonged.

Then his mom came back and he thought everything would change. It didn't. Sharon wasn't sending him away. She wasn't making him leave. He was eighteen, but his home was with hers… for as long as he wanted it. She wanted him to go to school. To be successful. To be whatever and whoever he wanted to be. She really only had two rules for him. For all of them, actually.

_"__Be safe and be kind_."

He wasn't so good at the first one, but he was trying very hard with the second. Rusty was trying very hard at both of them, really. He didn't want to be in danger. He didn't _want_ trouble to find him. Sometimes that just happened.

Like now.

This time the trouble had very little to do with him, but it was trouble just the same. He felt as though his world was falling into pieces. His family was coming apart at the seams. The glue that held it together was missing.

_Sharon_.

She wasn't gone. He knew where she was. They all knew exactly where she was.

She was slipping away from them. Much too quickly for them to really grasp the hows or the whys. Minutes ticked by into hours, which felt like days.

Rusty wondered if this was always inevitable. If he was always going to lose her. If just when he really began to appreciate, fully, what he had… it was going to be torn away.

"_I was always afraid this would happen, but I never really believed it would_."

Those were Emily's words. Rusty could scarcely believe it himself. No, he hadn't been with her as long as the others, but he was with her every day. He knew the risks that they took. The things that they faced. He heard about it and saw more of it than he ever really wanted to. It felt like, maybe after a while, he started to think that they were invincible. That _She_ was invincible. Nothing could touch her. She was Sharon. She held them all together, she protected them, and she looked after them.

If Sharon was gone, who would do that for them? Who would keep them together.

Rusty realized that he probably shouldn't be thinking about it, but he couldn't stop himself. The thought was there, from the moment they told him that she had been shot and was going into surgery, it just seemed to put itself on repeat. Like a never ending loop in his head.

It was a loop that had been on constant repeat for hours now. He was trying not to listen to it. He wasn't the only one. When the silence became too much, they began talking. Ricky and Emily. Telling stories. Trying to focus on other things. Trying to remind themselves and everyone around them why it was that life kept moving. That things got better. Than an end could be a beginning.

Rusty didn't know if it was working. All he could do was listen. There was nothing that he could contribute. He wasn't part of these stories. They happened before him. But as he listened to them, he realized that it was more of a history.

This was how his family came to be. This was the shape that it took.

He looked over at the man beside him. He had been silent for a long time. He was lost with out her. Adrift. As uncertain of himself and the world around him as all of them were. When he began to speak, quiet and a bit distant, Rusty felt himself hang on every word. It wasn't usually like that with them. Rusty didn't let himself get close to many people, but he was close to Sharon. He wasn't alone in that, he knew. He clung more to her, maybe because she was the mother that he'd never had, or because the idea of a male figure in his life was so abstract. He didn't know. Rusty didn't know that he could ever define that.

What he _did_ know was that he was seeing a man with a very large part of himself missing. It was something to finally draw them together, because while he had tried to comfort Emily and Ricky, it was him that this man had stayed with all these hours. Shared fear. Shared grief. Maybe both of them were adrift in this suddenly uncertain world.

What was Andy without Sharon? Rusty didn't know the answer to that. He didn't _want_ to know. Instead, he listened to every word of the story that began years before he'd ever heard of any of them.

The story of them. This family. But just maybe… it was his story too.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - The Beginning<strong>

Andy Flynn winced as he strode across the parking garage attached to Divisional Headquarters. His arm ached, but that was expected. It was his side that was throbbing. Even after two weeks the injuries he received in his attack at the hands of Rick Zuman's would be hit man were still reminding him that he wasn't a young man anymore. His body wasn't bouncing back nearly as quickly as it would have a decade before, not that he would admit that. It was healing well enough, just as it should according to the doctor, but he still felt it. Probably because he'd spent the better part of a couple of hours at the firing range earlier in the day. He was still on light duty, pending full medical release. That would come in another week, he knew. It didn't make it any less frustrating.

The whole thing was aggravating as hell. From the attack to the reason behind it. He could deal with having some dirtbag he put behind bars come after him, but to have his reputation smeared? For his career to be put in jeopardy by some bullshit accusation that was investigated, behind his back no less, by Internal Affairs… Yeah, the whole thing was aggravating as hell. More to the point, it pissed him off. He was exonerated, his reputation cleared, and his career was solid as it ever was, but it was the principle behind all of it.

Most of all, what pissed him off was _who_ had led the investigation. Where the hell did she get off, calling his ethics into question? She knew better. Didn't she?

They'd tangled before, plenty of times. Like she pointed out, oh so helpfully, he had a pretty thick FID jacket. She was a hard ass, everyone knew that. Raydor was hell on heels; she didn't take crap from anyone and she sure as hell didn't give an inch. Thing was, she was always fair. Wicked Witch or not, she followed the rules, and if you were in the righteous, then she had your back.

Maybe he was stupid for thinking they had an understanding. Or maybe he was just an idiot for thinking she knew better. More the fool was he, right?

Unlike a lot of people, he actually knew Raydor. Well, after a fashion. He knew the husband. They all kind of went back several years. Their boys had played little league together, and back in the day, he could always count on good 'ol Jack to be free for a night in the bar. Drinking buddies, long before either of them realized they were drinking way too much and way too often. He knew the wife, way before he realized that she was going to end up being a pain in his ass. At least, in so much as anyone ever knew the wives of their drinking buddies.

He didn't have to deal with her in the professional sense until much later. Well after his wife had kicked him out and he'd gotten into AA. By that point, he'd heard that Jack had left town, split up with his wife, and he supposed that was just the way things went. She regarded him cooly at first, and he supposed he was just as belligerent. Who wasn't on guard when FID was sniffing around? After the first few times, he started to get the lay of the land. Or rather, the lay of the Raydor. He popped off and she smarted back. Their sarcastic exchanges were the highlight of those encounters.

It was frustrating, even irritating, to have to deal with FID. It wasted time that they had precious little of when it came to solving crimes. Better the wicked witch that he knew, however. She'd rake him over the coals for what she thought was pushing the limit of what he _could_ get away with, but in the end she was always fair. Even when he was annoyed as hell at having to go to some training class or another. Anger Management was a big favorite of hers when it came to him. He didn't get it. His temper was just fine!

It got the job done, didn't it?

He knew how far he could go. He wasn't a dirty cop. Andy thought the damned witch knew that!

Maybe that was why he was so pissed at her. Or maybe it went deeper than that.

Jack was back in town. Had been for about a couple of years now. They were both in AA, and he was living at home again. Their youngest was in college now, a junior at Stanford. They weren't putting the kids in the middle of their possible reconciliation, or at least, they were trying not to. If mom and dad were back together, the kids were going to get involved, that was only natural. It just made sense to him, when Jack explained they'd waited for Ricky to leave home before trying again, now that he was both sober and had given up the gambling. He was working again, it was just a small firm, but it felt good. It was hard earning back the trust. They had started talking again after Ricky went off to college, and it had taken time for things to work out, for Sharon to take a chance on him again. It was only in the last year that she had. Jack moved home the year before.

Things were good.

So there they were, a couple of old, former drunks taking in a couple of ball games. Nothing at all in common, except memories of the old days. Jack still had a way with the punchline. He could appreciate that. He was a lucky bastard, that was for sure. His ex-wife had sure as hell never considered taking him back, even after he sobered up. Even now, with his own kids older, he still didn't see them much. His daughter had just graduated college and his son was off to Cal State now.

Maybe it gave him hope, hanging out with Jack again. He might have been a drunk but he never walked off and left them. Worked too much, sure, but who the hell didn't? If Jack could get a second chance, that had to mean that if he kept trying hard enough, something like that would come his way too.

So yes, after having been over to their place for dinner a dozen times or so, he expected _Captain_ Raydor to know better. Apparently she was more of a hard ass than he originally thought.

The ache in his side reminded him of more than how old he was getting. It reminded him that just when you thought you knew someone, you really didn't. He figured it was a reminder that he should probably listen to. No more rubbing elbows with the lesser beings of FID. They obviously couldn't be trusted if their Captain was any indication.

That thought and the throb in his side had a deep scowl drawing his brows together as Andy strode toward his car. A loud sound, not too dissimilar from a sharp bang drew his attention. It echoed through the cavernous concrete structure. He stopped short and turned toward the sound, his hand going instinctively to the gun in its holster at his belt. His scowl deepened. It was as though his dark mood had conjured her very presence. He relaxed, only by a very small degree as he watched the bane of his current thoughts stoop to gather a stack of dropped files.

"Dammit." Sharon balanced carefully in her heels as she knelt to begin scooping the scattered files into some semblance of a stack. As she lifted the stack, her keys slipped out of her hand. She heaved a sigh and reached for them, only to have to deal with the sliding of the files from the crook of her arm, where they were so perilously perched. It was not shaping up to be a very good night. She balanced the stack against her knees and let her head fall back. She closed her eyes and drew a breath, which she let out very slowly while she sought patience.

After another moment, keys and files in hand, she began to rise. Her balance shifted however, and she began to topple. A hand at her elbow and another at her waist caught her, and she was righted. She stiffened momentarily, instinctually, before her brain reminded her that the upper levels were secure, but her guard wasn't completely relaxed until she glanced back and realized that she knew the source of her aid. That was cause for a whole other round of stress. Her jaw clenched while her lips pressed tightly together. He'd made no secret of his disdain for her these past couple of weeks. She really wasn't in the mood to go another round with him. Instead, Sharon stepped away from him and shifted the weight of the files in her hand. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

Cool and grating, a bit like ice against steel. The sound of her voice made his teeth grind together and had his temper spiking just a bit. "Captain," he replied just as tersely. "You should be more careful. Another few seconds and I'd have found you in a hell of an undignified position."

She really didn't have the energy for their usual round of banter, particularly when he was sulking like a three year old. Sharon simply turned away from him and pulled open the front passenger side door of her silver Crown Victoria. She dropped the files onto the seat. "Yes," she said simply. "Thank you again, _Lieutenant._" She hoped that by stressing his rank he would remember where and who they were and just let it go.

Andy wasn't to be swayed though. His brows lifted as she avoided the opening that he'd given her. His eyes narrowed. He leaned against the side of her car and folded his arms together. If she was going to take the higher ground, that was a hell of a move, considering what she'd done, working against him behind his back as she had. "You're here late, _Captain_." Her use of his rank had not gone unnoticed, it only irritated him further. "Past time you pointed your broom home, isn't it?" That was a little more direct than he usually liked to play it, but he was pissed at her.

"Indeed." Sharon drew a breath and walked around him. "If you'll remove your person from said _broom_, I'll be more than happy to do that now." It had been an exceedingly long day. There was a nice bath and a comfortable bed waiting for her at home. If she could just get there. Hopefully without too much of a confrontation. She wondered at his behavior and his brooding, but simply did not feel up to correcting it at this point. She would deal with him another time.

"Now that I think about it," Andy drawled, going on as though he hadn't heard her. "Your broom has been parked here late a hell of a lot lately. Bet Jacky boy isn't liking that too much."

The comment drew a sharp look from her. Sharon's breath hissed out. She felt as though she'd been slapped, and surely, he'd done it on purpose. Her eyes narrowed, flashed. "I think you know as well as anyone," she said slowly, carefully, "that isn't the case. Lieutenant if you'd like to pout about the so called injustices piled atop you by the rule book that you despise so much, I would very much be willing to discuss it with you. During regular office hours, and on the record. What you will do, immediately, is remove any mention of my personal life and what you may know of it from any future discussions. The state of my marriage is not a tool for your personal enjoyment, specifically as it regards any details which might have been given to you by my husband."

He'd sure as hell pushed a button, Andy realized. This was not the sarcastic wit that he was accustomed to. She was biting mad and if he didn't miss his guess, the flicker of emotion he saw pass across her eyes was more akin to pain than any truly, deep seated anger. It had his brows rising in surprise. He pushed away from the car while a look that was more deeply rooted in concern settled across his features. "What the hell are you talking about? I haven't spoken to Jack in a couple of months. I've been too busy." Now that he thought about it, Jack hadn't been in AA in all that time either. He hadn't really thought about it, they were all busy, and the other man had mentioned finding a meeting closer to his job. Andy figured that he had done just that. "If you're fighting with the old man, nothing I can do about it," he shrugged. "What's the matter, find a reason to investigate him too? Guess he doesn't like it any better than the rest of us."

She didn't like his insinuations. It had her back stiffening. Her jaw clenched tightly. A single, well sculpted brow arched. "Well, I guess he never got around to inviting you to poker night at his new place. Pity. I'm sure you would have fit right in." Sharon turned away from him again. She moved around the hood of the car and pulled open the driver's side door.

"What?" The sound was barked a little louder than he intended. It echoed in the parking garage. Andy followed her. His hand caught her arm before she could slide into the car and he pulled her around to face him. "What the hell are you talking about? Jack left?"

She wasn't prepared for the sudden move. Sharon wasn't at all accustomed to being manhandled, specifically by surly Lieutenants. The world tilted and spun around her. She gripped his arm to keep from teetering, even when her stomach rolled alarmingly. "Don't," she croaked quickly. She clamped her jaw shut and pressed her eyes closed while she breathed slowly through her nose. Silently she was praying it would pass before she did something really embarrassing, like throw up on the surly Lieutenant's shoes. Not that he didn't deserve it.

When her face paled, Andy's brows furrowed more deeply together. The harsh over head lights did nothing to dispel the sudden, sickly pallor. He maneuvered her, carefully, toward the open car door. "Sit down," he ordered. When she was seated, he knelt in front of her. His hands still gripped her upper arms. "You look like hell," he told her.

She snorted derisively at him. "Well that must be the giant, hairy wart on my nose." Sharon glared up at him. "I assure you, I am fine, Lieutenant. You can go back to your evening, do whatever it is that you do that causes me so much paperwork." The last thing she needed or wanted was his pity. They weren't exactly friends, of that he had been very clear.

"Well, it's pretty horrendous." He continued to study her. "Jack left?" He asked it again, more quietly this time. "I didn't know." Andy shrugged, a little uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. I thought—"

"So did I." That this time it was going to work. That it _was _working. What a fool she was. He was never going to change. He didn't want to change. It was a means to an end, reconciliation. It gave him an opportunity to move back to LA, establish himself, and then move on. Sharon looked away from him when emotion jutted against her tight control. "He moved out a little over two months ago. He's gambling again." She drew her gaze back to Andy, why, she couldn't say, but she thought she should warn him. They were friends, the Lieutenant and her husband. She had started to think that maybe that was extended to her as well, now, she just didn't know anymore. In any event, he had worked hard for more than a decade to stay sober and straighten out his life. She didn't want to see that spoiled. She didn't want Jack to drag anyone else into his downward spiral. "I don't know if he's drinking again. He could be."

That would be why he hadn't been in AA, Flynn decided. He sighed and sat back on his heels. "Hell, I'm sorry, Sharon." He spoke more quietly, dropping the rank in deference to the subject matter. "I really didn't know. He never mentioned anything." They didn't exactly run in all the same social circles, though. When Andy saw him at AA he seemed perfectly happy. A lot of addicts did, right before they fell off the wagon. It was the lie they told themselves, and everyone around them.

Her lips curved, but it was more of a grimace than a smile. "Me too." She stared at the pavement beneath them. Her eyes closed again and she exhaled quietly. "It…" She wasn't sure what she intended to say. Instead she shrugged. "It is what it is."

"Still." His head inclined. If she looked tired and thin, he hadn't noticed it before. He did now, but he was actually bothering to pay attention. "You okay?" He shrugged before she could answer. It was a stupid question. "Do you need anything?"

The laugh, when it came, was hollow. "Well at least no one can say your mother didn't teach you good manners. Even when you despise someone, at least you can be polite to them."

"It's hard to be mean to someone who looks like they're about to pass out," he snarked back at her. Andy shook his head. "Look, I still think you're the wicked witch, and I'm pissed as hell, but you don't look that great." He heaved a sigh. "What did he do this time?"

The last time he left her, Jack had cleaned out their savings account. Sharon smiled bitterly. There weren't many people that knew the details of why she and Jack had separated years before. Andy was one of very few. He had, at least, never used it against her. "It isn't what he did," Sharon said quietly. "It's what he left behind." She looked away from him drew a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." She was forty-seven years old. Her children were grown. Yet somehow, her husband managed to come home only long enough to create another child, and then abandon it. Although she supposed that wasn't exactly fair of her. Jack didn't know yet, and she was in no hurry to tell him.

He stared back at her. Andy blinked a few times. His mouth dropped open, but there was no sound forthcoming. Finally his jaw snapped shut and he just shook his head. "I…" What could he say? That was the last thing that he expected to hear. Jack was his age, or close to it, and Sharon wasn't much younger. Not that he thought she looked bad, she looked great. If he didn't already _know_ she was close to their age, he'd never believe it. Not that he looked. Well, he had, she was an attractive woman. Of course he looked. Who wouldn't? She had great legs. Andy grimaced and looked down. He was thankful she was wearing pants. "I don't…"

"You can laugh." Sharon shrugged, resigned to that response. "It's fairly ridiculous." She tipped her head back and looked up. She drew a deep breath. "That's a reaction that I'm going to have to get used to, so you might as well." Her gaze lowered and it was impassive, but she couldn't completely suppress the sadness. She inclined her head at him while she waited. "It's laughable. I'm entirely too old for this. I know that. It shouldn't have happened at all." She should never have let Jack come back, but she didn't voice that idea, it was hers alone.

His brows furrowed again. He watched her. The sadness was there, but she was resigned to her fate. That much was obvious. She held herself stiff, seemed prepared to hear his laughter, age jokes, and anything else which seemed to her to go along with the situation in which she now found herself. He realized that she looked vulnerable. Small and pained, thin and just a bit frayed around the edges. Andy shook his head. She was right, it was laughable. The entire situation was a little preposterous. That didn't make it any less real, or any less painful. "I'm not laughing," he said quietly. When she looked at him, surprised, he shrugged. "You're not that old."

He meant it to be comforting. For that reason, her lips quirked upward into a small smile. "I'm forty-seven. I'm old enough." Sharon shook her hair back and sighed. "My youngest is a junior at Stanford. My oldest is about to graduate from Northwestern with her Masters. I'm—"

"It happens." Andy shrugged at her. "Women older than you are trying to have their first. _That_ is laughable." He shifted where he knelt when his knees began to ache. "Congratulations," he decided. There were a lot of worse things that Jack could have left her with. He knew his habits, the last time he left, he'd been cheating on her for a while before he finally split. As far as Andy knew, this time, he wasn't. "Does Jack—"

"He doesn't know," Sharon said quietly. "We haven't exactly spoken since he left." Her lips pressed together. "I haven't told him yet, and I'm not sure that I want to." She winced at how that sounded. Wasn't she the spurned wife? "I'm going to tell him. Just not yet. I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything." Sharon didn't even know why she told him. She hadn't told anyone yet. Maybe it just felt good to say it, even to someone who hated her.

Andy snorted quietly. "Who would believe me?" He grinned crookedly at her. "Come on? I'm having heart to hearts with the wicked witch? And I survived it without being turned to stone by her evil Medusa glare? I'd like to avoid being sent up to see Psych, thanks. I've spent enough time with those bozos lately." He had to be cleared by Mental Health before he could come back to work after the attack, even part-time.

Sharon looked away again. His mention of his visit to Behavioral services had her drawing a sharp breath. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Looks like they cleared you," she said thickly. "Listen, Andy…" At the risk of starting another argument, she reached out and let her fingers lightly brush his arm. "My division gets a thousand of those requests a year. We have to look into all of them. I was involved _because_ I didn't believe it. I usually let my team handle the requests we get. Most of the time the officer involved never even knows, or finds out after the fact, after we've _cleared_ them."

"So I should be touched that you decided to investigate me yourself," he stated, managing to still sound very bitter about it. Andy shook his head and looked away. "Fine, you were doing your job. It's a crap job. It's hard enough for us to keep this city safe without having to look over our shoulders and find our own people gunning for us too."

"I know." She smiled, although it didn't completely reach her eyes. At least he was sounding more reasonable. She tilted her head and gave him a patient look. "Imagine what it would be like without us. For every few officers that I can clear and put back on the job where they belong, there is another that I can't. Left to run roughshod over this city, what sort of job do you think you'd have left? How difficult would it become? We are not above the law, Andy. We cannot lower ourselves to the level of those that we arrest." Her brow arched. "Even when they deserve it."

"It's still a crap job." Andy stood up, his knees popped. He winced at that. He was getting too damned old. He frowned down at her, he didn't want her to be logical about it. He liked being pissed at her. It made him feel better about the whole thing, although, he supposed that was shot to hell when he realized how truly upset she was. Now that he knew what his good _buddy_ Jack had done, well, it was hard to really stay mad. He wouldn't say he pitied her, though. Hell no. She'd kill him. Andy might be annoyed with her but he did not want the She-Beast to be genuinely upset with him. "Forget about it. It's done now. Just…" He sighed. "You still look like hell. Go home, get some rest."

"Hm." Sharon snorted quietly. Rest? What was that? She hadn't been doing a lot of that, not since Jack left. She wasn't sleeping well, and instead, found herself taking work home. She filled her evening hours with files and reports so that she wouldn't have to dwell on the state of her marriage. Odd, but it was so much easier when her children were younger. She had them to take care of. Now all that she had was a quiet house, an oppressive loneliness, and a baby that… well, Sharon didn't know what was going to happen with that. It was still early. She hadn't even told her children yet. She didn't know _what_ to tell them. She supposed she would have to say something soon. They'd need to know that their dad had left, again. Afterward… well, she would think about that later. It made her head ache to think of it now.

Sharon drew herself into the car and turned on the seat. "I'm going home," she decided. "Not because you told me too." Her eyes narrowed at him. "But because I choose to." Her head tilted, she smirked at him, although its full effect was lost in her wan appearance. "You should take your own advice, Lieutenant. You've looked better."

He snorted at her. "That your official opinion, Captain?" He stepped back out of her way and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I won't go poking around behind your back." When she rolled her eyes at him, he felt a little better. Andy watched her start the car and back it out of its spot. His eyes followed it as it pulled away from him. There was a part of him that was tempted to go find Jack, try to figure out what the hell he was thinking, or if he was. Maybe drag him to a meeting, get his head screwed back on. Then he thought better of it. It wasn't for him to get involved. It wasn't the first time the idiot had left, he always came back. Still, he couldn't help feeling a little… lacking, at that news.

Maybe guys like them were just perpetual screw ups after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

A quiet corner. That was all that Sharon was really looking for. Once she located it, she slipped her heels off and reached down to rub first one swollen foot, and then the other. She sighed quietly, tiredly. Her body ached. She couldn't quite remember it being this difficult, growing another human being. Maybe it was time to give in to the inevitable. Her pants stretched uncomfortably against her waistline and her feet were swollen and aching. It was more than just a long day or having indulged too much of Mrs. Johnson's Christmas Dinner. Very soon she wasn't going to be able to hide the fact that there was another human being growing inside of her.

Her gaze drifted across the tiled floor. She had found solitude in one of the back halls that bracketed the Major Crimes murder room. There was a line of chairs to one side, a group of only four. A small holding area for witnesses and the like. Nearby, she could hear the sounds of the Christmas party still ongoing. There was laughter, and she would admit to having enjoyed herself. There was something a little bit amusing about watching the often irritating Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson squirm in front of her parents. It didn't seem to matter who they were, or how old they were. Their parents could still make them feel that they were about twelve years old.

As amused as she was, Sharon was also touched. She had not expected to be included. Certainly not her, the bane of their existence. The Wicked Witch. No, she just wanted to do her job and get out of there, just as quickly as she could.

It wasn't to be.

It was doubtful that she would get another flight to Salt Lake City before noon the following day. Even then, the odds weren't in her favor. She was so looking forward to seeing her kids. Ricky hadn't been home since returning to Stanford in August, and Emily had gone to Europe over the summer. It had been almost a year since she had laid eyes on or held her baby girl. Sharon wanted to hold both of them.

She drew a slow, shuddering breath and felt an ache build behind her eyes. She needed to sit down with both of them, discuss the situation with their father. She needed to tell them about the baby, and while she didn't want to spoil the holiday, that was something that she very much wanted to do in person. These were not conversations that she wanted to have with her children over the phone while they were miles apart. Even if it was early yet where the baby was concerned. That situation might resolve itself, and she felt bad for thinking that, but at her age it was questionable how it might turn out.

She was healthy, but she was also a woman in her late forties, closer to fifty than she should be for someone who was expecting another child. There was still so much that was up in the air about all of it. She was at the end of her first trimester and soon she would be scheduling the dreaded but necessary amniocentesis. All of those thoughts were weighing on her mind, but none so much as the fact that her children still had no idea that all of this was happening.

She had tried, hadn't she? Sharon's head inclined while she let her mind wander. Trusting Jack again wasn't easy. Letting him back in was far more involved than just opening the door and allowing him to move home. Despite everything that she knew, about him, and about his addiction, she still couldn't stop the direction that her thoughts took. She couldn't help but wonder what it was about her, and about them, that he found so very lacking. What sent him looking for more exciting things to fill his life?

He promised that he would love her forever. That he would be better, that _they_ could be better. They would grow old together and watch fat, happy grand babies play in the backyard of the home where their children had been raised. She wanted to believe him. She _had_ believed him. Now Jack was gone again and she was alone, left with the realization that Jack was full of a lot of things, mostly empty promises.

Her hand drifted to her belly and she sighed. She was left with a lot more than that. Sharon looked down; the thickening of her middle wasn't quite noticeable yet, but it would be soon. She felt an overwhelming wave of sadness settle over her, and not a little fear. She considered selling the house after Jack left, before she knew about the baby, it was just too big, and there was college tuition to think of. Now with a baby on the way, there were so many other things to think of. Plans that needed to be made. The house was paid for, and with scholarships and financial aid, they could manage Stanford. Emily wanted to move to New York after graduation. She wanted to dance professionally. She was good, this talented child of hers. It was a dream that she should follow, if it made her happy. Sharon knew she would need help getting established.

Then there was the state of her career. There were going to be medical expenses, and while her insurance would take care of much of it, this high risk pregnancy required a specialist. There would be costs that were hers alone to bear. Sharon didn't want to think of what came later, after the amnio. She wanted to think positively, but the reality of her situation was very tenuous. So far this baby looked very healthy, but there was so much else that couldn't be seen in an ultrasound and blood tests. Depending on the outcome of the amniocentesis and the progression of her pregnancy, she could be faced with an extended leave period.

There were investments that she could liquidate. She would take a penalty on it, but it was worth it, for her babies. All of them. She had not given Jack access to her savings this time. She wasn't wealthy, but she was comfortable. She had invested well over the years, and if she had to retire, she could. Between her investments and her pension, it would be hard. It would be tight. She could make it work. She could take care of all of them.

Jack could go to hell.

Her thumb stroked the hardly discernible swell of her stomach. She exhaled quietly and a tremor went through her. "It's just us," she whispered.

Andy found her like that. Her head was bent, and her hair was obscuring her face. From the slumped set of her shoulders, he could see that she was upset. His head tilted as he neared, and he got a look at her face. She was staring at the floor, looking more than a little forlorn, and just a little bit lost.

She had been all smiles, teasing and sarcastic wit earlier. More the woman he was used to encountering. Warmer, perhaps, than the others were accustomed to seeing. They could blame it on the holiday. When she disappeared from the party, he thought she might have left. The Chief's mother had sent him in search of her, or maybe he volunteered. He wasn't going to admit to it either way. Mrs. Johnson had pointed out that the Captain's bag was still tucked away in the corner, she wouldn't have gone far without it. So she thrust two cups of warm apple cider into his hand and here he was.

"Sharon." His voice was low, and just a bit concerned. When she looked up, he watched her eyes widen, startled at having been caught looking so vulnerable. Then, just as quickly, he watched her features settle into a more impassive expression. She straightened, and her hand moved away from her middle. When she reached for her shoes and began slipping them back on, he rolled his eyes at her. "Don't bother. How you wear those damned things at all is a mystery to me." He sat down beside her and held out one of the cups. "Chief's mom sent it."

"Hm." She reached for the cup. The liquid had already warmed the plastic. She held it between both hands and leaned back in the chair. "Thank you." She studied the amber liquid. The smell was inviting, and it reminded her of crisp nights, wrapped in a blanket in front of the fireplace at her parents' time share. She smiled sadly. It didn't seem as though she would be doing that this year. With any luck, she would manage a day or two before the New Year, the weather permitting.

Andy leaned back alongside her. A sigh left his lips. He had to admit, he'd stuck pretty close to her during the evening. He didn't really know why, except that maybe he was the only person in the group she really knew. That, and she looked kind of sad, even beneath the careful smiles and the way she hid it. Maybe he felt a little guilty about the way he acted a couple of weeks ago. It hadn't been that long since the night in the parking garage. He kept a tight lid on what he knew, but he was keeping an eye on her too. On the surface, she acted just as she always did. That was the difference, though. It was only the surface. Beneath that he knew that she had taken a pretty hard hit. Whatever else he thought of her, no one deserved that crap.

"You okay?" Andy slanted a look at her and shrugged, trying to keep it casual. "You know, with everything."

His offhand attempt at kindness made her smile. She turned the cup in her hands before lifting it. Sharon sipped, more for something to do than because she really wanted the cider. Was she okay? Not particularly. The situation was untenable, but it was what she had. There was nothing to be done for it. "Aside from missing Christmas with my kids," she shrugged. "Everything is fine." Sharon tilted her head at him. "I understand you have a similar problem. I'm sorry about that." She knew that he saw his own children seldom enough as it was. He'd made his mistakes, but she had never fully agreed with the idea that he should be kept from his children. A child needed its father. Even when that father didn't give a damn. She pushed away thoughts of her own situation and smiled at him instead. "Maybe you'll get the opportunity again very soon." She spoke quietly, gently, and with more hope than either of them felt.

"Yeah." Andy shrugged. "Maybe." He didn't believe it anymore than she did. He made his mistakes, all he could do was keep trying to make it all better. Someday he had to think that it would work. That his kids would look back and see how hard he tried. That it would count for something. "Are you out of here when the weather clears?" He knew her plans had been delayed, but he hoped they hadn't been cancelled. She needed to get away, he thought. Forget about Jack for a while. Spend time with her other kids.

That thought had his eyes dipping toward her middle. Andy drug his gaze away from her and grimaced. He wondered if this trip was really much of a vacation, with all that had happened the last few months.

"Exactly." Sharon sighed quietly. She had seen his look. "I'm going, if I can manage a flight before the New Year. There are things that we need to talk about," she added, a little unnecessarily. "Somehow I think waiting until they both come home this summer and surprising them with the fact that I'm about to pop would be a little cruel." Her brow arched. "Amusing, but cruel."

Andy snorted at her. "That is something that _you_ would think." He tried to remember what he knew about her kids, which was very little. What he remembered was mostly the boy, from playing little league with his own son. He substituted what he knew of kids that age, in general, and shook his head. He imagined it would be a little funny. They were both still at an age where they wouldn't want to think about what their parents were getting up to when they weren't around. "Why is it always so hard for them to understand that we're having sex?"

"You did _what_!" The shocked exclamation had both their heads whipping around. Lieutenant Provenza stood at the end of the hall. He'd come looking for his partner. Someone had to rescue him from the clutches of the Dark One. At least before his mouth got him in trouble. His holiday mood and good graces could only go so far. Willy Rae couldn't know what she was asking of him to send Flynn in search of Raydor. She didn't know the harridan. Probably better that way. They didn't need to inflict Raydor on the kind and unsuspecting populace.

His jaw was hanging open, and as they watched, his face turned a little red. Sharon realized that she just couldn't help herself. She slanted a look at the Lieutenant beside her. A brow arched. The corners of her mouth twitched, and for perhaps the first time in weeks, she felt something other than the weight of her failed marriage. With her cup balanced carefully in one hand, she curled her arm around one of his and leaned into his side. Her lashes fluttered and she affixed a pretty smile on her face. "Oh, Lieutenant, you didn't know?" Sharon simpered playfully and sighed. "Andy," she drawled his name, letting her voice dip seductively. "I'm hurt. I thought we agreed to tell people about us."

He cut a look at her. His eyes narrowed. While his partner was sputtering, Andy scowled. "Cute." He saw the glittering in her eyes, though, and shook his head. He saw the humor in it, but at the same time, nothing could ever be farther from the truth. "Funny, real funny, Captain." Andy rolled his eyes at her and glanced at his partner. He hooked a thumb at her. "What? You really think she'd sleep with _me_?"

It did not go unnoticed by Sharon that it was himself he left in question, rather than whether or not he would ever consider her. She wondered that even in his disbelief, and with the slight disdain that edged into his tone, if he knew that he was still being kind about it. She pouted up at him, not quite ready yet to let go of her game. Not while the other Lieutenant was pointing at them in such abject disbelief. "Oh _Andy_…" His scowl darkened and she almost laughed outright. Sharon had to press her lips into a thin line to keep from spoiling the moment. It felt good, that happy bubble of laughter that was threatening to burst forth. The muscles of her neck ached with the effort of holding her laughter at bay.

The corners of her eyes crinkled. They sparkled with amusement. Andy ground his teeth together. He decided she was having entirely too much fun. "Really?" He stared blandly back at her. "Come on."

"You!" Provenza was still trying to come to terms with the horror of it. "She…" He looked back and forth between the two of them. His partner was still slumped in his seat, he hadn't bothered to move away from her. She was all but draped across his lap. "_What_ were you thinking!"

Andy rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. His bottom lip jutted out. He felt a tremor run through the woman beside him and realized it was barely suppressed laughter. He heaved a heavy sigh and finally cast a bland look at his partner. "What? Like you wouldn't if given half a chance? Hell, I just thought the witch would loosen up a little bit if she actually had a good time. I didn't know she was the clingy type." He shook his head slowly. "I keep trying to get rid of her, and she keeps coming back for more. I'm going to have to start calling her Darth Stalker."

It was more the deadpan delivery and the way his partner's eyes bugged out again that had an effect on her than it was the words themselves. Sharon tucked her face against his shoulder and snorted a laugh. Her shoulders shook. She looked up at the older Lieutenant again and peels of laughter left her. "Oh god. Look at his face."

Andy slipped the cup out of her hand before she could manage to spill her drink on him, or cause him to spill his. He squinted at his partner. Yeah, Provenza was turning an alarming shade of red. He set the cups on the floor beside his chair and chuckled quietly. Inconvenient though it was, that it was at his expense, it was good to see her laugh. When her cheeks flushed with it, he realized just how pale she had been looking. Not as bad as the other night in the parking garage, but it wasn't her normal Darth-like glow either. "Now, now," Andy reached over to pat her hand. "That's not polite, darling. His head will pop off and who will you torment next?"

When she snorted again, Andy slanted a look at her. "What was that?" He watched her cover her mouth. Her eyes were bright. He wondered idly if they had always been that green. "It's not that funny."

"Oh, it is." She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and tried to stop the wave of mirth that wanted to take hold again. "At our most energetic shouting matches he's never turned quite that shade of red before."

"Well," Andy shrugged at her. "I mean, look at it from his point of view. You _are_ the devil."

"Hm." Her head inclined. Her smile widened. "I am, aren't I?"

"I don't believe this!" Provenza threw his hands up in exasperation. He pointed a finger at his partner and shook it. "You…" He couldn't even get the words out, even now. "I'll deal with you later." He sniffed at them both. "I came to rescue you, but obviously, you're just fine. If you'll excuse me, Willy Rae made pie!"

"Oh, don't leave," Sharon called after Provenza when he turned on his heel and stalked away. When he disappeared around the corner and out of sight, she pouted. "Pity."

Andy rubbed a hand over his face and into his hair. "I'm going to play hell now getting him to believe the truth." He let his hand drop away and frowned at her. "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome." Sharon reached down for her shoes and slipped them onto her feet. They still ached. Just the idea that she was wearing them again made her feet throb. She couldn't wait to get home and into something more comfortable. "It's getting late, Lieutenant. I should leave. I'd like to thank my hosts first." Sharon pushed out of her chair and smiled down at him. "Thank you for…" She hesitated, not entirely sure what she was thanking him for, but she did feel better, lighter than she had earlier in the evening. "Anyway. Good night."

He studied her for a moment. Andy stood alongside her, but not before gathering their cups. "I'll walk back with you. Do you have a ride? I know you wanted an escort to the airport, but…" He didn't know why he offered, just that it felt like the right thing to do. Andy shrugged when she cast a surprised look at him. "What? You aren't going to walk home are you?" He heaved a sigh. "The least I can do after I fake sleep with a woman is give her a ride home."

She snorted again and giggled quietly. "Yes, I suppose it is." Sharon shook her head at him. "No, I'll take my car home." She had planned to leave her service vehicle parked at headquarters, rather than the airport. "If I get a flight, I can always return it. Otherwise…" She shrugged, she would have it when she returned to work at the first of the year. "I do appreciate the offer. You should go and find your partner, start digging your way out of the hole I created for you."

"You mean the hole that _he_ created?" Andy snorted. "Hey, he's the one barging into conversations and making assumptions. I think I'll just let him suffer a little while longer." His eyes glittered deviously. "When Provenza has been sufficiently punished, I'll tell him the truth." He paused for a moment. "I mean, you were all desperate, but I was strong."

Sharon snickered again. "Oh yes, of course. Absolutely. Perhaps you can even throw in the fact that I am a married woman, and…" Her smile faltered suddenly. It meant so much less than it used to. She was a married woman, but her husband was gone. He'd left her. Again. Soon she would be someone to be pitied. She forced a smile back onto her face. "You'll have to remind him I'm the Darth Witch. I don't have feelings."

He knew that she was trying to recapture the levity of the moment, but Andy shook his head. "You know, I don't think that's true." He shrugged. With his hands full, he couldn't touch her, and decided that was probably best. "Even sarcasm and bitchiness are feelings," he added with a grin.

She smiled, more genuinely this time. "Yes. They are, aren't they?" Sharon turned on her heel. Her feet twinged painfully as she strode away, but she ignored it now. "Good night, Lieutenant. Behave yourself."

"What?" He called after her. He lifted his hands, but still held the cups. "I'm always good!" The smile she shot him from over his shoulder made him shake his head. He at least _tried_ to be good, anyway. That had to count for something. Andy sighed and followed after her. He wasn't far off her heels, but when he reentered the murder room, he noticed she had already retrieved her bag and was saying goodnight to the Chief and her parents. It was good, he thought, to see her chin held high again. Her cheeks were still flushed with laughter from their earlier game.

Andy's gaze swept the room. He found his partner scowling darkly at him. He rolled his eyes. Yeah, he was going to let him suffer a little while longer. He deserved it. She hadn't actually done anything this time to warrant his attitude. Actually, come to think of it, Sharon tried very hard to stay _un_involved with their case. They kept dragging her back in. In a way, it was partially their fault she had missed her flight, and wouldn't be seeing her children. She could have been snowed _in_ to Park City, rather than being snowed _out_. As he saw it, there was nothing wrong with a little good natured fun at his partner's expense.

He wasn't ready yet to admit that he felt bad for her, but he did. It wasn't pity. Andy knew better than that. She'd kick his ass if he tried. That was something he very much wanted to avoid. One did not get on the bad side of the Raydor. Andy just figured she deserved better than she was getting currently, and what the hell, weren't they friends? This was something people did for their friends. Even when those friends were really evil, wicked witches that needed to be destroyed before they wreaked their darkness upon the world.

Andy decided he'd figure out how to get even with her later, after he let Provenza suffer a little bit. Maybe after the holidays were over. Then the joke would be on Sharon, and if it made her laugh again, it would be all the more worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Snow blanketed the hills and mountains for as far as the eye could see. The porch was enclosed, heated, but still Sharon pulled a thick, fleece blanket more securely around her body. She was tucked into the corner of a wicker love seat, legs folded beneath her while she let her gaze wander the white snowscape that surrounded her parents timeshare. It was situated in the mountains, part of a ski resort. By some small miracle, the weather cleared long enough for her to get a flight into Salt Lake City two days after Christmas. She had missed the holiday, but she could still be with her children and the rest of their family.

That Jack wasn't with her came as a surprise. She hadn't yet told them that he'd left her. It wasn't a discussion that she wanted to jump into immediately upon arriving, but Emily and Ricky had been relentless with their questions. Sharon finally broke down after dinner on the evening of her first night and told them both everything. Their father's leaving, her pregnancy, all of it. Jack still didn't know, and she asked them not to tell him. Not that Sharon expected either of them would be speaking to him anytime soon.

Emily and Ricky were as incensed as they were disappointed. Her babies were hurt. It was more than just herself that was effected by his callous disregard. Leaving her hurt everyone. She wasn't the only who started to believe in him again. For a while it had seemed as though their family was complete again. It didn't matter how many years had passed since the first time he left them all. They were catapulted back to that moment in time. All of them. Emily and Ricky might be adults now, but when it came to this situation with their father, they were children again, lost and abandoned, and wondering why their father couldn't love them… why they couldn't be enough.

Movement beside her drew Sharon's attention. She looked up as her mother sat beside her, holding two steaming mugs. She smiled as she accepted one of them. Hot chocolate, with just a dash of vanilla. She wrapped her fingers around the mug and let it warm her through while she inhaled the sweet aroma. She hummed quietly. "This should prove a sufficient substitute for coffee." She took a small sip and hummed again this time in approval and delight.

Miranda Campbell smiled as she settled beside her daughter. She drew her legs beneath her and reached for the edge of the blanket, sliding beneath it alongside her girl. Grown now, well into middle-age, but still her baby. "Ricky and Emily have gone with the others?" She thought they might spend another day sticking close to their mother. They hadn't gone far from her since she revealed the truth of their father's absence. That was two days ago now.

"Yes." Sharon sighed. "I sent them skiing with their cousins. They'll be gone most of the day if I know that lot." She grinned, in years past she would have joined them. She wasn't risking it this year, not with the baby. She was staying close to the cottage, where it was warm. Two of Sharon's siblings were also present for the holiday, along with their children. It was the one time of year that most of them were able to gather in one place, and still there were those missing. Her youngest brother was back east with his family, one of her nieces had a new baby, and quite naturally wasn't traveling. Sharon's gaze drifted toward her cup. This time next year, that would be her, if everything went well.

The smile faded and a quiet sadness settled over her. Miranda leaned forward and placed her cup aside. "Sharon…" She shook her head. It was a difficult situation all around. They tried not to get involved in their children's lives, but there came a point when there was little to be done but finally speak their piece. She reached out and wrapped a hand around her daughter's wrist. "Come here." She took the cup from her hand and put it aside too. Then she drew her daughter into her side and curled her arms around her. "I'm sorry, honey."

The tears came, held at bay for far too long. Sharon folded and lay with her head against her mother's lap, while she stroked her hair. "I just feel so stupid." A tremor went through her. "I let myself fall right back into that same old trap. I knew better. How many times have I trusted him in the past?"

"Hm." She combed her fingers through her daughter's hair. "You love him," she said quietly, soothingly. "Of course you want to believe in him. You want to think that he's still the man he was when you married, but I just don't think that's the case." Miranda shook her head, she smiled sadly down at the quietly trembling woman that was her usually strong, independent daughter. "You married a boy. With an idea of the man that he could be. He didn't become that man, Sharon. No amount of dreaming or trying is going to turn him into the person you want him to be. Sometimes you just have to let go."

She swept away a tear as it tracked it's way across her cheek. "I'm not in love with him," she whispered. "I thought I could be again. I thought I was falling. I really thought that this time we were going to get it right." She looked up at her mother. She felt small, vulnerable. It was a feeling that she despised, but here, it was safe. She could feel everything here, and as strong as she wanted to be for her children, it was her turn now, to have someone else be strong for her. Sharon drew a thin, shaking breath. "Am I really so hard to love? I know I'm difficult. I thought…" She shook her head and looked away again.

Miranda hissed quietly. "Sharon, no." She smoothed her daughter's hair back from her face, before it could grow damp with the tears that were leaking from her eyes. "No, you aren't difficult to love. The fault is his, and timing, and a lot of things. I know you aren't blameless in this. It takes two people to destroy a marriage, but I know you, and I know that you've tried. Time and again you've given that man your heart, and he's given it back. There's no failing in that of yours. Sometimes, no matter how hard you work at it, it just isn't meant to be."

She closed her eyes against the pain. A small breath was expelled. "That's it then. I'll go my way and he'll go his. Until he needs me again. That isn't a marriage." Her lips trembled and she turned her face into the softness of the fleece beneath her head. It was growing damp with her tears. "It isn't the example I want for my kids." She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, fought to hold back a ragged, broken sob. "What am I supposed to do with a baby? God, this is so ridiculous."

"No, I don't think so." She wound a lock of hair around her finger. "If it were ridiculous, you wouldn't be pregnant. The timing may be poor, and just a little bit unusual, but you aren't that old." Miranda chuckled quietly. "Unless you're trying to say that I'm ancient?" Her brow arched. "I don't exactly feel ancient, Sharon Diane."

Her lips curved, in spite of the tears that were staining her face. It had been some time since her mother had used her full name. It seemed no one was really beyond that, not even herself. "No, you aren't ancient." Sharon sat up and wiped her face. She smoothed away the tears as best she could. "It's not a great situation. This could all end up very badly, Mom."

"Or it could go very well." Miranda inclined her head at her daughter. She reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Sometimes you need to have a little faith in the way life is unfolding before you. Even when it's hard, and especially when it hurts. Trust that things will turn out as they should. It's all that we can do, honey. We plan, but God laughs. In the end, there's nothing for it but to see what He has in store for us."

"Even if that means that this time, I think I'd like to cut Jack loose permanently?" Sharon drew her bottom lip between her teeth. No one in her family had ever divorced before. It was unheard of. Her very Catholic upbringing was the reason why she'd spent the last almost two decades separated from her husband, rather than divorcing him the first time he left her. "It seems pretty obvious that he doesn't want to be married. He only remembers that he has a wife when it's convenient, and he's only a father when it suits him." She looked down at her hands, fidgeted with them. "If I'm going to do this again, raise another child, then I think I'd like to break the cycle. I don't want my children to go forward in this life thinking that marriage is a prison of disappointments and failed dreams."

"I don't agree." Miranda stroked her daughter's cheek. "You know that. I think divorce is the way out taken by the weak. But," she drew a breath and let it out slowly. "I also think that you need to do what is best for you. Sharon, you can't live your life based on what we believe, and what we think is right or wrong. It's not our life to live. We've done that. We've raised our children as best we could, and as best as we knew how, and I think we've done an extraordinary job with all of you. If a divorce is what you need to be happy, if it's how you face your future, then it's your decision to make. The only weakness I see in that is Jackson's. If it helps you be strong for your children," She paused and sought her daughter's gaze when Sharon looked away from her, "_all_ of them, then it's what you should do."

A watery smile curved her face. "You don't know how glad I am that you said that." Sharon had actually felt a little nervous at what her parents might think of her decision. It wasn't fully made yet, but she was leaning more toward divorce than she ever had in the past. Odd, that at her age, close to fifty with two grown children and a third on the way that she could still care so much what her parents thought of her. There it was, however. Their opinion still meant the world to her. In the end, she would do what she needed for her family, and for her own wellbeing, but it mattered to her, what they thought of it all. "I haven't made up my mind yet. I will, before the baby is born." She offered a delicate shrug. "I want to make it through the next few weeks first, and then…" She sighed. "Then I can think about the future."

"It doesn't matter." Miranda said gently. "What you do, it doesn't matter. We'll still be proud of you…" Her eyes sparkled. "And Jackson Raydor will still be an ass."

Sharon snickered quietly. "Yes, he will." She sniffled quietly. "Whether I file the divorce or not, I'll never trust him again. It's over this time. I can't think of Jack anymore." Her hand settled against her belly. Sharon tipped her head back. She drew a deep breath, let it cleanse through her. "The children he's left me with are my priority now." She glanced at her mother, a small smile playing at her lips. "All of them."

"Yes." Miranda quite agreed. "Don't give up on yourself either," she said gently. "Someday, you'll be happy too. Of that I have complete faith."

"Maybe." Sharon shrugged. "I'm a long way from thoughts of that. There are a lot of other things that need to happen first."

"Tell me." Miranda retrieved both their cups. It had gone lukewarm now, but it was still good. "I want to hear everything."

Sharon settled back and drew her legs up again. She shifted until she was comfortable and tilted her head to one side. Then she told her mother all that was running through her mind. Not because she thought she could fix it, but it helped to put voice to the thoughts which had been occupying her. It helped her see her own way through to the solution.

They discussed the amniocentesis, and Sharon's decision not to sell her house to cover the tuition bills for her elder children. She was cashing in a few investments instead, but would still have plenty enough left in savings and in her brokerage account. She would be okay. Her children would be taken care of.

Emily was making noises about wanting to move home after graduation. Sharon wasn't going to allow it. Her daughter would go to New York, just as she planned. She would chase her dreams. Sharon could manage on her own. She had done it before. If there came a day when she couldn't work, she would face that decision too. She loved her job. Her career was something that she had embraced, she built it, shaped it, just as she had her children. But unlike them, it was something she could step away from. She would do what needed to be done. It's what she always did.

She wasn't sick. She wasn't infirm. She was having a baby, and quite possibly getting divorced. Her heart might be broken, but her spirit couldn't be damaged. She would find a way for all of them to be happy again.


	5. Chapter 5

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"So let me see if I understand this fully, you knew the likelihood of your suspect being armed was incredibly probable, and yet, you chose to enter the scene with minimal personnel because you _thought_ he might pull a disappearing act? In the process, you managed to put not only yourself in danger, but also the lives of every member of your team and those persons present on the street outside. It didn't occur to you that perhaps you should clear the area before proceeding?" Sharon folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight, discreetly, from one foot to the other. She had given up the stilettos in her wardrobe, but her feet still ached in the pumps she wore.

February was proving to be a cool month, even by Southern California standards. She was glad of that, as the dark navy trench coat she wore allowed her to disguise her pregnancy just a little while longer. It had been weeks since Christmas, just over a month now, and as she moved into her fifth month of pregnancy, Sharon's condition was becoming more discernible. She had survived, through some small mercy, the ordeal that was the amniocentesis. Those results had come, and there was some relief in knowing that if she could manage to make it through this pregnancy, there would be a healthy child at its end. Anything could happen, the end result could still be an unpleasant one, but for now everything was progressing as it should.

She had spoken to Jack, finally. His surprise at the news of her pregnancy was not without merit. He questioned her sanity at going through with it. With everything that he knew about her, he had actually looked her in the eye and asked her how she could think of having another baby at her age. He expected her to terminate, and in the absence of that, he wanted no part of it. Sharon wasn't really shocked by that. He was an absent father to the children they already had, why would another be any different? Sharon could live with that. She decided it was probably for the best, but she was thinking now more than ever that divorce was probably the best idea for the two of them. It wasn't a step she was ready to take just yet, there was time for that.

For now she had a child to prepare for, and a job to do.

Her gaze narrowed while she waited for the detective in front of her to answer her questions. "Your cooperation here is not optional, Detective. Answer the question. Why did you think it would be wise to proceed with minimal staffing into a situation that was going to be volatile?"

The detective scowled at her. "It wasn't volatile until those idiots showed up!" He waved a hand at the group on the other side of the red tape that FID had put up. "My suspect saw them, spooked, and started shooting up the place! We had everything under control."

"Yeah, it was under control alright." Lieutenant Flynn snorted quietly. He shook his head where he stood, waiting for FID to finish up so that Major Crimes could do their part. They had come to question a possible witness in their murder investigation, only to find out that Narcotics was already on site. They'd had no way of knowing. Narcotics had moved fast, without notifying anyone, and managed to bungle the whole thing… like they normally did.

"Oh yeah?" There was no love lost between Henderson and Flynn. They had tangled before. His eyes darkened and he shot a belligerent look at the Lieutenant. "You wanna come over here and say that to my face? You're all high and mighty while you're standing on the other side of that tape, aren't you Flynn?"

Sharon felt the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. She could see another Anger Management seminar in both of their futures. How many times had she had to deal with these two neanderthals? "Okay enough." She pointed a finger at the tape, where Flynn looked like he was getting ready to cross it. "Go find something to do, Lieutenant, and you," she shot a heated look at Henderson. "I think antagonizing the people you almost got killed might be a poor decision. At the very least, your responsibility was to notify Central that you were moving on this location. This isn't the first time that your team has acted hastily and almost cost the lives of others. At least this time the only person that was shot was your suspect." Her team had already taken their guns. "Go back to your section division commander. I'll be in touch."

"Yeah, you're going to take their side aren't you." Henderson sneered at her. "Everyone knows that Flynn is your pet and why."

She had turned away from him. Sharon slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat. From across the tape she met Andy's gaze. His brows lifted. His eyes darkened. She could see the tension coil through him. He was just looking for a reason to be able to charge at Henderson. Those two were a bad combination. Her lips pursed and her head tilted. Their little prank on Provenza had backfired a bit. Just a little. It seemed the two Lieutenants had been overheard discussing the matter. Rumors were circulating. There was no truth to it and on the whole, she didn't really care. Except when irresponsible detectives with more firepower than sense chose to try and use it as an insult. Sharon watched Andy wince and take a step back. She had drawn herself up to her full height. Her lips pursed and she turned, slowly, back to the Detective.

"Is that a fact, Detective?" The air was already cool, but her voice had dropped an octave, causing the temperature to chill considerably. "I'm afraid I'm a little confused by that statement. Perhaps you can explain it to me. Just exactly why is it that you believe that Lieutenant Flynn is my…" She paused, her brow arched, "_pet_?"

There was snickering to one side. The detective thought maybe he should have backed off then. That holier than thou attitude of hers, though, it grated on his already shot nerves. The operation had gone wrong, and now not only had he lost his lead in closing a case they had been working for more than three months, but he was going to have to deal with Johnson and possibly Pope on having cost Major Crimes their lead witness. Henderson took a step forward. He towered over her. He was a tall man, he knew, broad across the shoulders. He used it now to his advantage. "My team moved when they had to. If it inconvenienced Major Crimes, that wasn't our issue. Other divisions have cases that need to be worked too. I'm not going to let you or anyone else jerk us around just because you happen to be screwing one of Chief Johnson's star Lieutenants, _Captain_." His lip curled. "Our suspect spooked. We acted accordingly. Case closed. Find another way to keep your boyfriend happy."

Her gaze cooled considerably. The smile that curved her lips was dangerous, but one might have described it as almost saccharine. It was the glitter of her eyes that gave her away. "Detective, did you just accuse a superior officer of conducting herself in a manner less than appropriate by using an open investigation to further a personal relationship?" She held up a single finger, before he could respond. "Without proof that said relationship was being conducted?"

"I…" Henderson hesitated for just a moment. The other members of his team had backed off a bit. The Captain's team was scowling at him. He glanced over at Major Crimes. Their Deputy Chief was still standing to one side, discussing the issue with Taylor and Pope and how they were going to proceed without their witness. The others were gathered near the tape, waiting for it to be removed so they could collect whatever evidence might be present that could help them. Sanchez looked amused. Provenza was glaring at him. It was the smug look on Flynn's face that had him glaring back. He stood, arms folded, and that damned smirk in place. Henderson wanted to wipe it off his face, but knew he wouldn't get the chance. "I don't need proof," he decided. "Everyone is talking about it."

"Hm." Sharon hummed thoughtfully. Her head inclined again. "Lieutenant Flynn," she called out to him, without bothering to look.

"Yes Captain?" He rocked back on his heels, feeling almost giddy. Never before had he been thrilled to watch Raydor unleash the Witch on another officer. This time, it was well earned.

"Would you like to join us for a moment?" She glanced over at him then, and almost smiled at the way he practically swung himself beneath her team's red FID tape. He was such a child sometimes. "Lieutenant," she waited until he'd joined them. "Would you say that I have ever acted in a way that was, in the least, inappropriate toward you?"

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if excessive assignments to Anger Management classes counted. Instead, Andy shoved his hands into his pockets. He inclined his head and pursed his lips. "Actually, Captain, I can't think of a single moment. It's unfortunate," he continued, laying it on thick but enjoying every second of it, "that in today's society people are so single minded that they can't believe that a man and a woman can be friends without somehow applying something sexual about it." He looked down at her then. "Not that we're friends. You're too mean."

Henderson could read, easily, when he was being made a fool of. His eyes narrowed. "Go stick it in a light socket, Flynn. No one cares what you have to say." He shook his head. "You know, I always wondered how you ended up staying on the force. Now I guess we all know. Been tapping that a while, have you?"

Now he was just pissing him off. Andy's brows drew together in a deep scowl. He took a step toward the other man. "I tried to be nice. Now I'm going to just tell you to back off. The Captain asked you politely, but I'm done being polite. Shut your trap, Henderson. You leave her out of your filth. You screwed up, do something new, take it like a man."

"Okay, that is enough." Sharon stepped between them. "Go back to your team," she instructed Flynn. "You answered my question sufficiently, Lieutenant, thank you. The Detective and I will conclude this conversation ourselves." If he was lucky, he might still be a detective when she was finished with him.

Henderson was done listening to her, though. He reached beyond her, used his arm to shove her back as he grasped the front of the Lieutenant's suit. "What would you know about being a man, you're just a washed up drunk…"

In her heels, she teetered. Sharon lost her balance and stumbled backward. Her back struck the side of the wall as she fell against it, lucky she supposed that it was there and she didn't fall completely to the ground. Her head bounced against it and she saw stars as it impacted with the brick. She grunted loudly and her hands swept out to help brace herself. Her palms grated against the surface, bits of rock and brick scraping at the delicate skin.

Andy hip checked Henderson and tossed him aside. He watched the detective sprawl and pointed a finger at him. "Stay the hell down." His dark eyes burned, almost black in agitation. The other man always had been an irritant, a punk, always quick to throw the first punch or get in his face. Flynn was having none of it this time. He swept out a hand and caught the Captain's arm, trying to steady her. Members of her team and his had already sprung forward, wanting to get between the two men before an all out brawl could begin. He caught sight of Elliot, the little sergeant that followed Sharon around like a puppy. "Do something with him," he bit out.

"Lieutenant Flynn!" Chief Johnson was striding toward him. She pointed a finger at him. "What is going on here?" The last thing she needed was a member of her team getting into a fight, again, with Narcotics. It would only slow down their investigation and then she'd have _That Woman_ breathing down her neck about it.

"Not his fault this time, Chief," Sanchez was hauling Henderson to his feet. "The Detective got in his face, pushed the Captain back. Flynn was just trying to keep her from getting caught in the middle."

Andy rolled his eyes at that. "Thanks Julio." _Not this time_, indeed. It wasn't his fault the other fifteen times either. Or maybe it was ten. He could think of a few times he'd put his fist in Henderson's face and meant it. He shook his head and turned away from them. He moved in front of Sharon, blocking her from their view. "You okay?" His voice dipped, low and concerned.

Of all of them, he was the only one who actually knew that she was pregnant. She thought members of her own team might suspect by now. She hadn't officially said anything. Sharon reached up and touched the back of her head. It throbbed. She winced as she fingered the spot. It wasn't bleeding, but it was going to be sore for a day or two. "I'm fine, Lieutenant. Thank you." She took a quick mental stock and realized that was true, aside from her head and stinging hands, she was otherwise unharmed. When she pushed away from the wall, she found him holding her upper arms. Sharon looked up at him. She smiled gratefully. "I'm okay," she said quietly, wanting to put his mind at ease as to that _other matter _of hers.

He stepped back slowly and pushed his hands into his pockets. He continued to watch her with some amount of concern. "Sorry about that. I didn't think he'd charge with you standing right there."

"Neither did I," or else she'd have never called him over. Sharon drew herself up and sighed. She cast her gaze beyond him, to the others who'd gathered. "Sergeant Elliot, take Detective Henderson back to your car. I think he needs some time to cool off, when he's managed that, let's put him on report. I'll discuss appropriate disciplinary actions with his Commander."

"Yes ma'am." Elliot pulled the Detective away. "Come on. You heard her." He shook his head. "You were almost out of here. Just had to open your mouth, didn't you?"

As they left, Sharon focused on Major Crimes. "Chief Johnson." Her head throbbed a little more keenly. Something about that woman always set her on edge. "My people are almost finished here. As soon as we have what we need, we can let your team do a walk through." She might as well volunteer it now, Pope would override her eventually. The way Sharon saw it, if it was at all possible that Brenda would be moving up at some point, she would be better served to get into her good graces and stay there.

Brenda looked between the two of them, Flynn and the Captain. What was going on there? Her eyes narrowed. His concern hadn't gone unnoticed, but she supposed she might do the same thing, if she had been there instead. "Thank you, Captain. That would be most appreciated."

"In the meantime…" Sharon waved a hand at the tape. "I appreciate your team's assistance, but I'll have to ask you to step—"

"Back behind the tape." Andy rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, we heard you." He pointed a finger at her. "It would go a lot faster if you just let us do the work."

Sharon smirked at him. "I shudder to think the kind of FID investigation that _you_ would conduct, Lieutenant."

Andy practically grinned. She walked right into that one. He turned away and strolled toward the tape, not without calling back. "Any flying monkey can write a Force Investigation report, Captain."

Provenza scowled at him as they both walked over to slide back under the tape. "Would you _stop_!" He glanced back, where the others were still speaking, and leaned closer to his partner. "Stop flirting with that woman," he hissed. "Or people are really going to start to think you two are…are…" He waved a hand, unable to actually say it.

"Yeah right." Andy snorted. "No one with half a brain would ever buy that." He shoved his hands into his pockets again. "Me and her? It's science fiction, old man. You and she would be more likely."

Provenza drew back in horror. "Don't be disgusting!"

"Then don't be obtuse." Andy stared out across the sidewalk toward where Sharon was still discussing the particulars of the case with the Chief and Commander Taylor. His brows drew together when he watched her reach up and lightly touch the back of her head again. Then she looked at her palm. Part of him wanted to hunt down Henderson and knock the hell out of him for that. The idiot needed to be more careful. At the same time, he couldn't help wondering why he cared at all. He had friends, he'd never acted quite so extreme on their behalf before. As he continued to watch her, Andy wondered, why all of a sudden did he think it was his place to look out for her?

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

"I thought you said that you were okay?"

The brusque rumble made her jump. Sharon hadn't heard him approach. She glanced over and arched a brow at the Lieutenant. "I am." She was standing at the rear of her car, the trunk lid was up and inside, she had a small first aid kit open. She held her left hand against her body while she carefully cleaned dirt and small bits of brick out of the scrapes on her palm. "I'm touched that you think I'm so delicate that I can't handle a few bumps and bruises, Lieutenant."

He watched her wince and her teeth sink into her bottom lip as she cleaned the wound. It was insignificant enough. Hardly more than a scratch. He knew that it had to sting like a son of a bitch, though. Especially with her using an alcohol pad to clean it. Andy rolled his eyes at her. He reached out and took her wrist. He drew the injured hand toward him and stepped closer. "I never said that," he grumbled. He reached into the kit for a new swab and lifted it. He used his teeth and his free hand to open it and then bent over her hand. "This is going to sting," he muttered.

"Yes." She drew a quick breath as the alcohol touched the open wound. "I was already well aware of that." Sharon scowled at his bent head. "I don't need a nursemaid." She lifted her chin in defiance. She tried to tug her hand away from him, but his grip tightened around her wrist. "Lieutenant."

"Captain." He stared back at her. "I'm not looking to be one." She was hurt, however meagerly, and he felt a little responsible for that. "Do you always go around picking fights with surly assholes." Andy's scowl darkened. "You know, that idiot could have really hurt you."

She watched his gaze drop, quite pointedly, to her middle. Sharon glared at him. "Well, the only surly idiot I usually bother to pick a fight with is you. I'm fine, Lieutenant." Her head was aching, but it wasn't terrible. It was hardly an issue at all. The hand stung more than the little bump on her head. He went back to cleaning her hand and she almost whimpered. Instead she looked up, refusing to watch. Her lips pressed into a thin line and she concentrated on breathing.

Andy probed it gently, once he thought he had all the dirt out of it. Then he reached into her trunk again, this time for a tube of ointment and a bandage. "It's not bad," he said, "but it's going to smart for about a day." His eyes lifted to her face as he put the bandage in place.

"Yes." She drew her hand back to her chest and held it there. She watched him, a bit puzzled at his behavior. "The last thing that I want or need right now is your pity," she said. "You might be in a unique position to know what's going on in my personal life, but—"

"Hardly." Andy shook his head at her. "It's not pity, alright?" He scratched his thumb across his forehead. "Look, Sharon, I just… I let it get out of control. I let the asshole push my buttons. You could have gotten hurt. I'm sorry."

He had never apologized for his behavior before. At least not to her. Sharon's eyes widened momentarily. She blinked at him. "It wasn't your fault, Andy. It was already a volatile situation. I shouldn't have involved you. I guess I let my temper get the best of me." The Detective had annoyed her. She wanted to put him in his place, and as a result, she used the Lieutenant to provoke a confrontation. She was a little ashamed of that.

"Blame it on hormones." Andy smirked at her. His gaze swept her again. If he didn't know she was pregnant, he didn't think he'd be able to tell. But he looked for the signs and found them. There was a healthy glow to her skin and beneath the trench coat, he could just make out the new curves. "How is…" He hesitated for a moment. He didn't know if he should ask, and finally decided it probably wouldn't hurt. "How is that going?" He nodded at her middle.

She watched him shift, looking entirely too awkward and just a little bit adorable. He truly was such a big kid at times. A smile curved her lips. Sharon reached out with her uninjured hand and lowered the lid of her trunk. "It's going surprisingly well," she told him. Once the trunk was closed, she turned and leaned back against it. "You don't have to worry about me," she assured him. "It's a baby, Andy. It's not a disease. I'm not fragile." Sharon decided to be amused at him.

"No," he snorted at her. "You certainly aren't." Andy shook his head at her. "That's not a word I would ever use to describe you." He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the trunk beside her. "Feel free to tell me to buzz off, but… what about Jack? How are things going there? I haven't seen him around." He hadn't exactly bothered to look either. Whatever was broken in their marriage, he wasn't getting into it.

"They aren't." Sharon's gaze fell to the pavement in front of them. She folded her arms around her body and sighed. "He knows, if that's what you're asking. Jack is… not interested in coming home." She smiled, just a little ruefully up at him. "He much prefers the life that he's living now. That's okay." She shrugged. "I have the better part of him. Three of them, actually. Emily, Ricky, and I'm thinking… Joseph, or Joey," she ducked her head and smiled. "After my father."

He slanted a look at her, watched the color fill her cheeks. He thought she looked a little cute. Andy tucked that thought away for later. Raydor wasn't cute. He leaned over and bumped her shoulder, a grin sliding across his face. "It's a boy? How about that." He couldn't say why, but he liked that she was making the best out of a difficult situation. It made him feel a lot better about it. "You still aren't telling people? Is everything else okay? I mean, you said it was going well?"

"He's okay," she nodded. "So far, anyway. We've still got a long way to go, this little boy and I." Sharon sighed softly. "My superiors know. That couldn't be avoided. I think I just… if I start telling people, then it's real." She looked over at him, a sad smile on her lips. "I'm alone, and I'm pregnant, and my marriage is over. My kids know, of course, and my parents… and I don't know who Jack has told or not, and frankly I just don't care. Maybe it's a little selfish on my part. A little narcissistic even. I don't want anyone to look at me differently."

"They wouldn't dare." His grin softened into a gentle smile. "You're still Captain Raydor. We fear your wrath. It is evil and far reaching." He stepped away from the car and turned to stare at her. Across the street, he could see his people, they were gathering what little evidence had been left for them. He saw his partner wave to him, and he nodded in response. "Your personal life isn't anyone's business. They'll talk, because they haven't got anything better to do. It doesn't matter. They always talk. You never let it bother you before."

She smiled back at him. "No, I haven't, have I?" Her brow arched him. "Odd, here you stand, and yet you're always the first person to tempt my wrath." Her eyes glittered at him. "Tell me, Lieutenant, do you like to live dangerously?"

"Well, you know me." Andy smirked at her. "I don't know how to be good." His lips pursed. "I try, but it chafes a little." His partner caught his attention again and he lifted a hand in response. He'd be there soon, but he could see Provenza was starting to get agitated. "I should go. We've got a murder to solve. Listen," he hesitated for a moment longer. "If you need anything… you know, someone to just talk to or whatever, I'm around." He knew Jack, knew the history. He figured it might help. Or it wouldn't. Either way, it felt right to offer.

"I'll keep that in mind." She smiled warmly up at him. Sharon stood there for a moment and then she nodded and pushed away from her car. "I should get back to work too. I have a report to write and only seventy-two hours to do it in. I need to speak with Commander Michaels about his people, and write up a report on your part in all of this for Chief Johnson." Sharon shrugged at him. "Don't worry, no seminars this time. I promise to feature you in a good light." Her eyes sparkled. "It might even chafe a little."

"I bet." His nose wrinkled. "Can I read that when you're done? I might want to frame it. I don't think your reports about me have ever been… you know… good." He stepped away and started moving around the car. "I might need you to sign it too, no one will believe it otherwise."

"And have evidence of the event?" Sharon snorted. "Definitely not, Lieutenant." She moved around the car and stopped beside the driver's side door. "Oh, and Lieutenant…" When he looked back, her eyes narrowed. "Any _flying monkey_?"

Andy held his hands out as he backed across the road. "Hey… you open the door, I walk through it, Captain."

She watched him turn and jog across the street to rejoin his team. Sharon rolled her eyes at him. She slid into her car and once inside, she sighed. Away from the prying eyes of others, or at least obscured a bit, her hand moved to the gentle swell of her stomach. She rubbed gently, gratified that it had only been a minor incident. Her own concerns and narcissism aside, it was time to tell people. If for no other reason than to help prevent other incidents such as that one.

She sighed softly. It could have gone so much worse. She was thankful that Andy had been there, even if he had been involved. The thought alone made her snicker quietly. Thankful for Andy Flynn? Since when!

Sharon shook her head and turned the car on. "Let's go Joey, I think we'd better get me back to the office before mom does anything else that is completely insane…"


	6. Chapter 6

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p>It was late. Far too late for any visitors. At the knock on her door, Sharon leaned back and stretched her back. She was currently seated on the floor in her living room. Drop cloths had been spread around to protect her floors and atop those was the cradle that she was currently repainting. The windows in her living room were raised, and a fan oscillated in the corner, protecting her from the worst of the fumes. The cradle was a throw back from her first two pregnancies. Both of her elder children had slept in it. It had once been a beautiful light oak, but had seen better days. Over the course of the last couple of weeks Sharon had been sanding it down and steadily painting it white. She wasn't much of an artist, the designs at the head of the cradle, moon, stars and a shooting comet had been stenciled in.<p>

She sighed as she worked out the kinks in her back and set the paint brush aside. She was finally putting on the last coat of white paint. It had been slow going with only the evenings to work on it. As for the crib that had been part of that nursery set, she had declared it unsafe. A new crib waited in the upstairs room that would become a nursery. It would need assembly. She wasn't looking forward to that. The cradle was going to be hard enough to piece back together once it was finished. Sharon wondered if she had the patience to wait for Ricky to visit before attempting either. Likely not. She only had a few months left of this pregnancy to put together some semblance of order, already it was five months gone.

She reflected on that as her hand settled against the small bump which was growing every day. Sharon stretched her legs out and flexed her feet and toes to work feeling back into them. She had been seated with her leg curled beneath her for far too long. As she gained her feet, she shook her head at herself. She was getting much too old to be sitting around on the floor in that fashion. She snorted quietly at herself. She was getting much too old to be painting cradles and worrying about putting together nurseries, at least for herself.

Another knock sounded through the house. She shook her head. "Yes, I'm coming." She swept the back of her hand across her face, smoothing back a loose tendril of hair. Her fingertips were smeared in paint. She swept them down the oversized button down shirt that she wore. One of Jack's, left behind when he moved out again. Sharon didn't feel so bad about ruining it with her refurbishing chores.

At the door, she rose onto the balls of her bare feet to peek through the peephole. Her brows lifted. She immediately flipped the lock and pulled the door open. Surprise showed clearly on her face. "Lieutenant Flynn… what are you doing here?"

He was taken aback by her appearance. He'd seen Sharon dressed casually before. This wasn't his first visit to the house. He had been there for dinner several times while he and Jack were hanging out months before. It wasn't unusual for him to arrive and find her in jeans and a sweater or comfortable cotton shirt. Her apparel tonight was unlike anything he'd ever imagined seeing her in.

Her hair was pulled away from her face, piled high and secured with a clip. There were curling tendrils which had escaped, they framed her face and neck. The shirt was too large to be one of hers. A man's pale blue button down. Even still, as large as it was, he could make out the curve of her stomach. That all seemed par for the course for a late, Saturday evening spent at home. What drew his attention most were the legs. He was faced with a long expanse of leg which disappeared into a pair of short, denim cut-offs. Andy felt his mouth go a little dry and wondered if he'd ever seen anything sexier?

"Lieutenant?" He was staring at her. Sharon shifted where she stood, painfully aware of how she was dressed. There was paint on her hands and dotting her legs as well. Repainting cradle pieces wasn't exactly a very clean job. At least not when she was doing it. Which was exactly why she had put down a double layer of drop cloths to protect her California pine floors. She drew his gaze to her face. "Can I help you?"

His eyes were drawn to the white smudge that marred one cheek. Andy took a step forward and tipped her face up. His brows drew together. "What are you doing?" Without thinking about it, his thumb swept the mark away. He had to make another pass at it to get it completely, and realized as he drew his hand away that it was paint.

She stared back at him, eyes a little wide. She reached up to press her fingers to her cheek. It was warm, tingled where he'd touched her. "Painting." Her voice sounded a bit hoarse, even to her own ears. Sharon cleared her throat and shook her head at him. "I'm… I got the cradle out of storage. It needed some repair work."

He frowned at her. "So you're painting it yourself?" Andy shook his head. He scowled darkly at the thought. "You shouldn't be doing that." He pushed past her without thinking about it and strode toward the living room. Sure enough, pieces of the cradle were laid out on drop cloths, already painted and drying. He could see the piece she must have been working on. It only had a single coat. "You did all this?" He stared back at her, a bit incredulous.

She turned, more slowly, and followed him. "Of course I did. It isn't going to repaint itself." Sharon shook her head at him. "Andy, what are you doing here," she asked again, this time more insistently. Despite the unusualness of it all, her brows climbed toward her hairline and she smiled. "Was there something that you needed?" He wasn't in the habit of just dropping by her home. Even when Jack had still lived there, those occasions where the Lieutenant was invited over had been planned in advance.

That had been a little awkward at first. Sharon could recall when they had all been much younger and it hadn't seemed odd at all to have her husband's friends in her home. She hadn't really known him well back then. Then as she climbed the ranks of FID she got to know him a little better, at least in a professional sense. Long after Jack was gone, she watched as he cleaned up his act and sobered up. He was still a troublemaker, but that was just part of his _charm_. It was only natural, she supposed, that after moving back to Los Angeles and reclaiming part of his life that Jack would begin to reconnect with old friends. Part of her was thankful that one of them was the now sober and seemingly responsible Lieutenant. Of course she knew little of his private life, but she had to hope that he would be a good influence on Jack, given just how long he had been serious about his sobriety and that it was still a big factor of who he was. He had no shame in it. He could regret his past, but he embraced who he was now. Sharon admired that.

It was difficult, at first, to let go of the _Captain_ while he was in her home. She did, eventually, and she let him glimpse a little of who she was when she was not wearing her badge or FID armor. Over the months, almost year, that she and Jack had reconciled, she saw more of him. It became easier to be herself, and she found that underneath the rough, troublemaking exterior, he was a charming, funny guy.

They were only just barely friends, with a potential for a closer relationship. Now, with Jack gone again, that potential seemed to have jumped forward, and she didn't exactly know what they were. The word _friend_ applied, she supposed. She just always equated him as having been Jack's friend, not really her own. She had been more open with him than she thought she would have been with anyone else, save her own close friends. It just felt so easy, and somehow it felt right, sharing that part of herself with him.

Now, however, she was wondering if she had been too open. Who was this man to be walking into her house at almost ten o'clock at night, and why was he glaring at her the way that he was?

"Yeah," Andy's hands found their way to his hips. "I need to know why you think it's a good idea to be hauling furniture around in your condition. What are you, crazy? I mean, I knew you were stubborn, Lady, but…"

Sharon felt her ire begin to rise at his tone. Whatever this odd friendship was, she certainly wasn't a woman that needed some overgrown, overprotective, hot tempered lout telling her what she should and should _not_ be doing. "I beg your pardon?" Her arms folded across her chest and her tone dropped slightly, taking on a cool edge.

"You heard me." He waved a hand at the pieces laid out on the floor. "You're painting it yourself? Is that even a good idea. You remember that you're pregnant right? That can't be good for the baby."

His face was turning a little red. Sharon decided then that she wanted to laugh. She felt her irritation slide away and rolled her eyes at him. "Andy, it's fine." She spoke calmly and walked over to begin picking up paint brushes and closing up the project for the night. "The windows are open, the fan is on. I'm taking a lot of breaks." She slanted a look at him as she straightened. "I have done this before, you know. I have two grown children and somehow I managed to get them into this world in one piece. I understand it's a little shocking, but I did manage it."

The edge of sarcasm that crept into her tone made him sigh. "Sharon." He sighed. "You don't have to do this all alone..." There it was, that reason why he was there. Part of him felt guilty, and he didn't know why. She wasn't his wife. He wasn't the one who had walked out on her, and he had nothing at all to do with the situation she found herself in. Still, he had called Jack his friend, and maybe he felt bad because if he'd been paying closer attention to that _friend_ he might have noticed that he was in trouble. Or that he was just playing them all. A realization that Andy had reached only an hour before.

He had finally run into Jack. He really didn't like what he saw.

There would be no question now as to where his loyalties lay. Friends always got stuck with the choice of choosing sides in a break-up. Well, Andy was choosing his.

He thought that maybe part of it was his past. That he had once been that guy. He was the drunk hanging out in bars when he should have been at home with his wife and kids. The thing was, he was hanging out with Jack when they _both_ should have been at home with their wives and kids. Andy had learned his lesson, the other man had not. Watching history repeat itself, it spooked him a little. What if he became that man again? He didn't think that he would. He wanted too badly to put right the things that he had made wrong. It bothered him though, knowing that she was here alone, and seeing the other man out making himself the life of the party. Surprisingly, and a little mysteriously to him, he wanted to fix it. He just didn't know how. This situation wasn't his to fix, and yet, there he stood.

Her shoulders slumped and Sharon smiled sadly up at him. "Andy, I'm running out of time here. God willing, this baby is going to be here in a few months. If I can give him nothing else, I can give him a completed nursery to come home to." A warm smile lit her face. "I appreciate the concern, really, but this..." She waved her hand at the disassembled cradle. "This is really nothing. I may not be much of an artist, but I can handle painting a little baby bed." Sharon laughed. "What I'm going to do about the rest of it, I don't know. That crib is going to be a monster."

He tried to make himself relax. Andy felt the tension tightening the muscles between his shoulder blades. He forced a breath out between his clenched jaw. "You already have a crib?" She didn't seem to be letting the last few months bother her. She was moving ahead. It was comforting, if a little sad. She was only a couple of years younger than he was, so he understood the realities of her situation. Doing this, at her age, it was just so very out of left field. Yes, women all over the country seemed to be doing it now. It didn't make it any better, and it certainly didn't make it any safer. She wasn't exactly in a low stress situation. Factor in her job, her marriage, and everything else, and he wondered what greater power out there would stack the odds against her in this way. What had she done? Except marry the wrong man. His chest clenched a little at the idea, but he wondered if there would be a healthy baby at the end of it for her to bring home. For her sake, he hoped so.

"I do." Sharon carried the paint can and brushes into her kitchen. "Can I get you anything," she called back. He still hadn't answered her question, as to what he was doing there, but he seemed agitated about something. She decided to work him back around to it more slowly. Sharon glanced over, he had followed her as far as the kitchen threshold. She stood at the sink, rinsing out the paint brushes. Then she did her best to get the paint off her hands.

"No, I'm good." He leaned his hip against the frame of the door and shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, tell me about it." He wasn't ready yet to make things worse for her, to tell her what he'd seen. "Where you planning on putting this kid?" He decided that talking about the baby might be the safest option at the moment. She needed to know what he'd witnessed, but her eyes lit up in such a way when the baby was mentioned, he wanted to prolong that happiness, even for a few minutes.

Sharon glanced at him again. Her brows drew together, a bit quizzically, but as she dried her hands she leaned against the counter. "Ricky's old room. It's closest to mine. It took a lot of rearranging, and I'm not done yet, but I had to move him into the guest room. I think it would-"

"You moved the rooms around?" His dark eyes narrowed. "Sharon, have you lost your mind?" He'd give her a little bit of painting, but was she insane? Andy pushed away from the door. He glared at her for a minute. "Where is it? Upstairs?" It wasn't just a casual dose of stubbornness, no, he decided she was out of her mind. Completely round the bend. What was she thinking? _Was_ she thinking? Obviously not. He strode away from her, across her living room and to the stairs which led to the second floor. He shrugged out of his jacket and left it laying across the newel post before he made his way upstairs.

"Andy!" Sharon jogged after him. She rolled her eyes. He was more uptight tonight than usual. He seemed to be stretched on a pretty tight wire, close to snapping. Obviously, if he was running around her house, glaring at her, like a crazy person. "What has gotten into you?" It was preposterous, really, but he was acting as if he were somehow responsible for her. It was just so many shades of odd, and not a little bit awkward. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or throw something at him, if she should be concerned, or touched, or just plain mad.

"Me?" He tossed an incredulous look back at her. "I don't think you have a lot of room to be asking that right now." He walked down the hall, glancing into rooms. One of them, he realized, must have been the guest room. It was filled with boxes and furniture, not quite arranged. He recognized baseball trophies and posters. Ricky's things, obviously. Andy continued down the hall, until he found a room that stood mostly empty. Boxes lined one wall. He stepped inside and narrowed his eyes at them. The crib and a changing table remained unopened, and not yet assembled. The room was recently painted. The scent of it still hung in the air, faint, but easily recognizable. "Don't tell me you painted this too?"

His dark glare had her wanting to smack him. Sharon stepped into the room behind him and rolled her eyes. "No, actually, I didn't. I didn't move the rooms around either, you jack ass." She put her hands on her hips and glared back at him. "Contrary to what you might actually think of me, I'm not stupid. I may be alone in this, but I'm not an idiot." Sharon huffed, and blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Ricky did it, he was home a couple of weekends ago. He moved the rooms around, he painted this one for me, and not that its any of your business, but he pulled the cradle out of storage too. I just haven't had the time or the energy yet to tackle the rest of it," she waved a hand at the unopened boxes. There would be some assembly required. Sharon wasn't looking forward to that.

Andy reached for the cuffs of his shirt and started rolling them up. "Get me a wrench," he bit out. "Probably a screw driver too." He felt a little better knowing that she had_ some help_, but it wasn't the best solution. Her kid was away at school, a few hundred miles north, and one weekend visit wasn't going to get it done. Not if, as she said, she was running out of time. Andy could just imagine her trying to handle this herself, she was stubborn enough. He wasn't going to allow that, this much, at least, he could do for her.

"What?" Her brows lifted in surprise. "No." Sharon shook her head. "Andy, I don't need you-"

"Sharon." He sighed at her. "Just get me a screw driver." He waved a hand at the boxes. "They're heavy, and they're bulky. You can try, but you'll get hurt. This is going to take two sets of hands, so you couldn't do it alone even if I was inclined to let you. Ricky helped you do the rest, and that's great, but when will he be back? Do you know? Spring Break? After? Like you said, you only have a few months left."

She stood her ground, arms folded tightly across her chest. "I can manage," she said carefully. "Andy, I've done all of this before-"

"Yeah?" He snorted at her. "Difference is, you don't have to. Just get me the damned screw driver, okay?" He ignored her protesting and walked over to begin opening the box that held the crib.

Her teeth ground together. "Stubborn ass." Sharon huffed a sigh. She stalked over and opened the lid on the small toolbox that Ricky had left in the nursery. She snatched a screw driver out of it and thrust it at him.

Andy smirked as he took the tool from her. "Yeah, look whose talking."

Sharon's eyes narrowed again. "You're getting perilously close to being on thin ice, Lieutenant."

He decided to not let her tone bother him. Instead, Andy pulled the box open. In the toolbox he spied an x-acto knife and used it to slice through the cardboard of the box, carefully removing the front to reveal the crib within. He pulled the crib pieces out and began organizing them by type. He had to admire her choice, but he also felt a little justified in making the decision to get involved as he lifted each piece. They were heavy, thick dark wood, and he shot another dark look at her at the thought that she might have tried to deal with it on her own. "What were you going to do? Will it together?"

Sharon sighed quietly. She snatched up the package which held the hardware and instructions and glowered right back at him. "Andy, enough. I get it, okay? It would have been nearly impossible for me to do this on my own, but..." What other choice did she have? There was no one else, and he was right. She didn't know when Ricky would be home again. She was due at the beginning of the summer, but the likelihood of carrying that long wasn't great. The odds were that she would deliver before he was home for the summer. She was too embarrassed to ask her other friends. Too many of them had tried to warn her away from reconciling with Jack, and she hadn't listened. Not that she thought they would turn her away, but it wasn't only her heart that was wounded. It was also her pride, if she were honest with herself.

Technically, she could wait. Sharon knew from past experience that she would probably have the baby sleeping in her room for at least the first couple of weeks, but it was as she told Andy earlier. If she could do nothing else, she could give this child a home that was ready for his arrival.

He sighed, let the frustration leave him in that one, long breath. Andy reached out and took the hardware from her hands. He let his fingers slide along hers and met her gaze. "You don't have to be alone," He said quietly. He still didn't know exactly why this bothered him as much as it did, only that it did. "You have friends, Sharon. Let us be here for you."

She drew a thin breath. The warmth in his gaze startled her. "Is that what we are?" She asked it quietly, and looked away a moment later. "I didn't think that you particularly liked me."

"You irritate the hell out of me," he admitted. Andy looked down at his shoes. He shifted awkwardly. "Yeah," he added, "we're friends. Why not? We go back a ways, and..." He shrugged. "Even the wicked witch had friends. Granted, they were hairy, feathered, flying primates, but friends…" He offered her a small smile. "It's just possible that I'm not the ass that you think I am."

Sharon drew her bottom lip between her teeth. He seemed to be just as out of sorts with all of this as she was. That made her feel moderately better about it all. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist before he could draw his hand away. Her voice was soft, and her eyes shone brightly as she said, "I don't think that." She had, at one point, but that idea had been expelled quite some time ago. "I'm glad that you're here. I suppose I just don't understand why?"

Why him? Or why her? Andy wasn't sure. He lowered his head for a moment. A sadness filled his dark eyes. "I ran into Jack tonight," he admitted. "The team went out to celebrate closing our case." He lowered his gaze again, even as her hand slipped away from his arm. Andy hesitated for a moment. "We were over at the cantina. Jack was there… with a date." He looked up at her, eyes troubled. "He's drinking again. Sharon," his voice softened, "I'm sorry."

"He was with a date?" Her voice barely rose above a whisper. She knew Jack's habits, and it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her, but it did. Sharon wished that she could blame it on hormones, and she supposed that there was a good deal of it that was, but she turned away from him at the first sting of tears. She walked to the crib pieces he had stacked so carefully against the wall and rested her hands atop the smooth, polished dark wood. Her chest ached keenly. Sharon drew a quick, tremulous breath. When her lips trembled, she pressed them tightly together. She pressed a hand against her stomach, just beneath her breasts at the deep ache that moved through her. Sharon wanted so badly to detach her heart, to not feel anything where her husband was concerned. The hurt she felt didn't work that way, however, and neither did love.

Andy winced when she moved away from him. He felt like ten times a heel. He'd have liked to kick himself for delivering that blow. He ached for her, and what she must feel. It could be the root of what was drawing him to her. He had seen her with Jack. He never questioned that she loved her husband. She was a different person around him, far different from the woman he was accustomed to seeing at work. It had taken him by surprise, the smiling, warm woman that he was introduced to the first time Jack invited him over for dinner a year ago. The way she looked at Jack, maybe he was a little jealous at first, there was nothing left between him and his ex-wife, but she never would have looked at him like that again. He wasn't sure that she ever had.

Andy dropped the tools and hardware in his hands to the floor and moved behind her. His finger tips brushed her arms. He hesitated at touching her, but when he saw her shudder, he lay his hands against her shoulders. "I_ am_ sorry," he said again. "I thought you should hear it from… I didn't want you to get blindsided by it. There were other cops there, and…" People would talk. Her reputation spoke for itself. There would be those that would take a great deal of pleasure out of her pain and humiliation.

She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and nose. Sharon shook her head. She was not going to cry over Jackson Raydor again. She thought that she had shed enough tears over him. She couldn't seem to stop the onslaught, however. As the emotion welled within her, making her chest and throat ache, she pressed her fingers between her eyes and drew thin, shallow breaths. "It's not your fault," she managed to whisper. "He doesn't want us… and that is _his_ failing, not mine."

Her head turned and she looked up at him. There seemed to be some question in her pained, moss colored eyes. He watched the hurt and pain swirl in their depths, and the way the colors shifted from jade to a deeper moss. There were gold flecks that he'd never noticed before, and realized he had never been this close to her. The soft overhead lights caught the lighter flecks, it seemed to make the emotion burn in her eyes. It was haunting, but oddly beautiful at the same time. Andy watched a single tear roll slowly down her cheek. He caught it with his thumb and swept it away. "No," he rumbled quietly. "It's not you. He's an idiot. He's throwing away the best part of his life, and he's too stupid to realize it."

Sharon smiled tremulously up at him. "Jack leaving me is the one thing that I should be used to in all of this. It shouldn't feel this way. I just thought…"

"You thought your husband loved you." Andy shrugged at her. "Sharon, there's nothing wrong in that." He sighed quietly. His shoulders lifted, and he looked away. "You're here, you're at home and you're pregnant with his kid, and he's…" He couldn't bring himself to say it again. "It's okay to be hurt. You gotta feel it."

"Where did you come from?" Sharon shook her head at him. This was not the Flynn that she knew, this softer, gentle creature. She looked away again and wiped away another tear. "I'm sorry. Thank you, for telling me. You're right, people are going to talk about it, and I do appreciate knowing about it before hand." She turned, facing him once again. Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly. "So much for the wicked witch. I'm crying over a stupid boy."

His brow arched at her. Andy gave her a small smile. "Maybe you're not such a witch after all?" He touched her arm, gave it a light squeeze, and then pulled away from her. He turned his attention back to the crib, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the emotional turn that the evening had taken. It bothered him, seeing her upset. He hadn't expected to have the reaction to it that he did. He wanted to put his fist in her husband's face, and not stop beating on him until he was well and truly sorry for all the hurt that he caused her.

Andy knelt and studied the instruction booklet and hardware. He lifted both of them and glanced back at her. "It's late, but what do you think?" He hefted the items in his ands and lifted his brows at her. "Wanna knock this thing out?"

"_Now_ you're asking?" Sharon snorted quietly and smiled at him, but it was oddly indulgent and filled with just a little bit of affection. "You're here, I should take advantage of it." She expelled another breath and squared her shoulders. She nodded once, and pushed the thought of Jack aside. "We're marginally intelligent individuals. I think between the two of us we should be able to handle it."

"We've done this before." Andy smirked at her. "Granted, it's been a while… But I can't believe the mechanics of the crib have changed in the last twenty years."

"That's the spirit." She held out her hand for the instructions. "I'll read. You labor." She found a spot on the floor and lowered herself to a sitting position. She folded her legs inward, so that she was seated indian-style, and settled the instruction manual in her lap.

"Great." Andy opened the hardware while she got situated and arranged it all. "What's first."

Her lips pursed. Sharon arched a brow at him. "A translator?" She held up the book. "I don't suppose you can read French?"

Andy stared at her. "You're kidding me right?" He reached for the book and flipped through it. "Where the hell did you get this thing?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. Laughter lit her eyes, chasing away the shadows of pain that had previously haunted them. "A boutique in Paris?"

"Jesus lady…" Andy rubbed his forehead. "Okay, alright…" He opened it in front of him. "I guess I'll just have to follow the pictures."

Sharon leaned back, one hand braced against the floor behind her. She lay her other hand against her stomach and laughed. "Joey, I think we're in trouble."

Andy slanted a look at her. He watched her, gently rubbing her belly and smirking up at him. "Hey, I can follow diagrams. Have you read Provenza's reports? Please. Watch and learn, Captain. Watch and learn."

"By all means," She waved a hand at him. She watched him struggle with the diagrams for several minutes. Then he seemed to figure out what he was looking at, in comparison to the actual crib pieces. As she watched, he began putting it together. He was methodical. When he needed an extra pair of hands, she moved over to hold the pieces in place while he attached them.

Over the course of the next few hours, she could say with absolute certainty that she had not laughed quite that much, or that hard, in sometime. He swore, he sighed, and he cursed her shopping habits. Sharon knew that she never would have managed quite so well without him. She was more thankful than he could know.

In comparison, the changing table was far easier. The English instruction manual had been included, although both pieces had come from the same boutique. It took half the time to piece it together and afterward, he moved both of them for her, to the locations she indicated. The changing table to one corner of the room, and the crib to the opposite wall.

Afterward, they sat side by side with their backs braced against the wall. It was late, incredibly so. Well after midnight and nearing early morning. Sharon tipped her head back against the wall and slanted a look at him. She looked at where he'd scraped his knuckles on the crib and reached over to gently touch the wounded flesh. "Thank you," she said gently. "For coming by tonight. For staying… for… _that_," she nodded her head at the furniture. "You were right. There's no way I'd have been able to do it by myself."

He nudged her shoulder with his. "I was glad to do it. You know, maybe you'll remember it next time you're tempted to send me to some evil seminar or another."

His playful grin made her laugh. "Not on your life. You do the crime, Lieutenant…"

"Figures." He leaned his head back against the wall. "Try to do a woman a favor…" His head rolled and he looked at her again. "Come on, the rulebook isn't that important. I'm not all bad."

"Mmhm." She arched a brow at him. "Do you know how many times I've heard that?" She chuckled quietly. "If I start relaxing my rulebook for you, people really are going to think we're sleeping together."

"Sharon." Andy smirked deviously. "I hate to be the one to break it to you… but they already think that." He shrugged. "You know, rumors die slowly around there. Especially when there are idiots like Henderson spreading them."

"Oh god." She groaned. "His suspension wasn't enough, I suppose. How could anyone believe that? I mean…" Sharon sighed. "You're… and I'm… and you would never… I'm not your type." She snorted and laughed. "I'm hardly young or blond." His proclivities were well known.

He cast an incredulous look at her. "Why wouldn't I?" Andy tilted his head at her. When she blushed, he grinned crookedly. "Aside from the obvious reasons, that you just don't like me at all, I don't know why you think I wouldn't be interested. Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do." He lifted his chin at her, while his dark eyes sparkled.

A single, well sculpted brow arched. "Don't patronize me." She smiled at him. "Andy, I'm an old, pregnant woman. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Detective Henderson, and those like him, don't have much of an imagination if they're still putting the two of us together. It's been months since those rumors started…"

His eyes widened. "You really don't know do you?" Andy let his gaze sweep over her. In her shorts and that shirt, her hair mussed, and her skin flushed, she was quite possibly the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. "Sharon, you're a beautiful woman." He reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You're incredibly kind." She shook her head at him. She looked away when her cheeks flushed. "I guess I'm just not feeling it right now." Sharon felt fat, swollen, and just… not at all attractive. She wasn't completely blind. She knew that she was an attractive woman, and she often used that to her advantage. It was just hard to _feel _attractive when you were pregnant.

"Hey." He reached out and tipped her chin up. Andy smiled gently at her. "Trust me." His voice rasped quietly. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Her hand curled around his wrist. Sharon found herself wondering if his eyes had always been that dark. She drew a thin breath. "I do." She couldn't explain it, but there was just something about him that made her want to trust him. She supposed that he had earned it. He didn't have to try. He didn't have to reach out. That he had spoke volumes. It made him a better man that she had ever given him credit for.

With her thumb stroking the inside of his wrist, Andy leaned closer to her. He studied her face, from the deepening shades of green that lit her eyes, to the curve of her cheek. His eyes finally landed on her lips. He watched her drag her bottom lip between her teeth again and could only think of sweeping his tongue across it. He moved closer, drawn to the sight. He stopped only scant inches away. Her gaze lifted toward him and he found himself lost in those eyes again.

Their breaths mingled. Sharon lifted a hand and lay it against his chest. Beneath her palm she felt the rapid beating of his heart. Her own was fluttering maddeningly in her chest. She drew a shaking breath and found herself surrounded by the scent of him. The aftershave was familiar, and it mingled deliciously with his cologne. There was another, underlying scent as well, something she could only define as uniquely him. Her fingers curled in his shirt. Her eyes widened.

Alarm, that was the response he read in her gaze. She wasn't pushing him away, but he'd watched her eyes darken and then grow alarmed. Whatever this odd shift was between them, it spooked her. Andy could understand the sentiment. His jaw clenched. He was near enough that it would take only another centimeter and his lips would be against hers. He turned away instead and sighed heavily. "It's late," the quiet rumble of his voice filled the suddenly silent room. "I should go."

Air left her lungs in a rush that almost made her lightheaded. Relief warred with disappointment. Sharon decided to blame her hormones for the odd turn that the evening had taken. "Yes," she agreed quietly. He moved away from her so quickly that she felt a chill as his heat was removed.

Already he was kicking himself. Even as he helped her to her feet, Andy was wondering where the hell his mind had gone. He turned away from her before he could cross the line again and made his way back downstairs. He retrieved his jacket from the newel post at the bottom of the stairs and reached into it for his car keys. He was keenly aware of Sharon following him. Only at her door did he stop to look back. His gaze swept over her. It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It would help if he understood what had happened.

Why on earth did he care so much? What kind of friend was he that he would try making a move on her, now of all times. Tonight on top of it. Had he not just told her that her husband was not only lost in his addictions again, but seeing another woman? He was witness to her pain, to her grief. He wanted to make it better but he could only think that somehow he'd made it that much worse.

She was a beautiful woman. He hadn't lied about that. Even now, or maybe, especially now, he'd never seen her look lovelier. None of the designer suits she owned could compete with the way she looked in that moment. The simplicity of it all, motherhood, it suited her. Andy shook his head. He stared at her, a little bewildered at his own reaction. "You don't belong to me." He wasn't sure if he was saying it to her, or trying to remind himself of that fact.

He walked away before she could respond. Sharon stood at her open door and watched him move across her porch. She stared after him, more than a little confused. When he reached his car, she pushed the door closed and leaned back against it. The most alarming factor of the evening had been her own response. Was she that lonely? That pathetic that… just a look from him and she would have gladly let him kiss her.

Sharon pressed her fingers against her lips. They tingled. It was anticipation. "Oh god." She tipped her head back against the door and closed her eyes. Hormones. It had to be the hormones. It was the only explanation. She would have to be more mindful of it in the future, more careful. Lest she risk ruining what had the potential of being a very good friendship.

They would be friends. Just that. Nothing more. It was all that her heart was prepared for at the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Andy Flynn resolved to forget it. Whatever it was that had prompted him to almost cross the line with Sharon, he pushed it aside. As he saw it, he was no better than her husband. Another drunk that managed to screw up his life. He was the last thing she needed, and aside from that, it was just too soon. Even if he was inclined to put himself out there for a woman that was way out of his league, she was still reeling from the breakup of her marriage. He wouldn't be the cause of anymore pain for her. She needed a friend more than she needed an idiot like him chasing after her. He decided that he would be that.

When next he saw her, midway through the following week, she seemed relieved when he treated her no differently than he had before. The teasing and sarcasm returned. Andy poked at her, and when she poked back, he felt just as relieved. If he watched her a little more closely, he told himself that it was just a matter of looking out for his friend. He'd do it for anyone. Even if, in the back of his mind, he heard a little voice telling him that his gaze never followed Provenza everywhere _he _went.

He was watching her even now, but he figured if she was leaning against the edge of his desk, it was only natural that his eyes would be drawn to her. As far as keeping her condition under wraps, Andy figured that gig was up. There were subtle changes in her wardrobe, she'd opted for comfort, although the flowing red wrap-dress was perfectly professional, especially with the black blazer that she wore over it. The looks that she had gotten were worth it, he decided. He realized that she must have told people too, over the last few days, the rumors had intensified. People were looking at him oddly, and it just pointed out those people who were idiotic enough to believe that the two of them would ever actually have an affair.

There were no grand announcements, he hadn't expected that there would be. Sharon wasn't the type. He imagined she'd have told her team, but as to the rest of the department, well, they could figure it out or not. Their ideas as to her condition and personal life were not her concern. Andy rather liked that about her.

His head tilted as he looked up at her again. She was looking entirely too pleased with herself. The paths of Major Crimes and FID had crossed once again. Not through any fault of their own. No, this time, both divisions could blame their illustrious new Chief of Police. Delk had decided that he wanted to promote a new sense of harmony within his department. None had clashed so much of late as Deputy Chief Johnson and Captain Raydor. Well, unless one considered the whole of Major Crimes and Narcotics, or Major Crimes and Hollywood Division. Actually, Andy grinned crookedly, they tended to clash with a lot of people. He wondered if maybe Delk just had a sick sense of humor. Quite possibly. He was asking the Chief to work with the Captain, and not in the usual way in which they tried to bully the other into giving over to their demands.

This time, they'd been assigned a case which involved a downed police officer. It was the kind of case that usually got assigned to Major Crimes, but Delk wanted to protect the image of the Department. There was some question as to whether the deceased officer had crossed a line, made a mistake which had led to his death. There were no grounds for an actual Force Investigation. Officially, Sharon and FID were auditing the officers conduct while Major Crimes investigated the death. Major Crimes had the bigger bullpen, so she had come up to join them, rather than having their team join her fifth floor division.

The facts of the case were laid out on the murder board, and so far, Andy had to admit, she was playing fairly nice. If she looked at him and smirked when she leaned back and placed a hand against her stomach, he tried not to laugh. Specifically when the Chief stuttered upon looking at her. The wicked witch was enjoying herself.

Andy shook his head and swiveled around in his chair. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and turned his attention to where the Chief stood speaking with Tao. They were running through the financial report that Sharon had brought them. Donald Stevens had quite a bit in savings for a sergeant earning a detective's salary. A sharply indrawn breath beside him drew his attention. Andy glanced up. He watched Sharon close her eyes and wince slightly. His brows drew together in concern. "You okay?"

"Hm." She nodded. Sharon glanced down at him and straightened. "Yes, sorry." A small smile tugged at her lips. "He likes to stretch after I eat, it's uncomfortable." She sighed softly. She wasn't quite six months pregnant, it would only get more uncomfortable as the baby grew. It wasn't a hardship, but the moments he chose to remind her of his presence were just a little inconvenient.

"Opinionated." Andy flashed a crooked grin. "Wonder where he gets that from? Protesting the lack of space, I bet." From what he remembered of Ricky, mostly from pictures, the boy was tall. Jack wasn't much on height, but he was broad, stocky even. Either way, she might be bigger than life in personality, but she wasn't a large woman. Average height, but built small. He wouldn't call it petite. Delicate, maybe, deceptively so.

Sharon snorted quietly. "Well that's not going to get any better," she drawled. "If space is what he's after, the temper tantrums aren't going to get him anywhere."

"Wow." Andy smirked at her. "You really are a hard ass." His eyes flashed teasingly. "Already laying down the law and he's not even here to defend himself. Damn, Mom, that's rough."

She fluttered her lashes at him. "We start teaching rules young in my house," She deadpanned.

He barked a soft laugh and looked away from her. "Jesus, Sharon."

"I normally prefer to be called Your Highness, but you'll learn…" She made the mistake of looking at him and had to look away as she snorted a laugh. She giggled quietly and leaned forward. Her hand was still draped against her stomach, hand stroking gently against its side as she soothed the child within.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Brenda slapped the file against her leg and turned toward the pair. She didn't understand what was happening between those two, and she sure didn't believe the rumors, but _something_ was going on. She couldn't put her finger on it. Flynn and _Raydor_? It was the craziest thing she'd ever heard. "Are we interrupting your playtime? I apologize Captain, Lieutenant, but is our investigation of the murder of a Police Officer spoiling your good time?"

Sharon's eyes narrowed, but she immediately straightened. She folded her arms over her chest and moved away from his desk. "Absolutely not, Chief. I apologize. Please, continue." If her new posture seemed to accentuate certain new curves, well, that was completely accidental. Behind her, she heard Andy snort again and cut a look at him. "Do you disagree, Lieutenant?"

"Absolutely not, Captan." He unfolded himself from his chair and moved alongside her. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Sorry Chief," he looked duly chastised. "Won't happen again." He slanted a sideways look at Sharon. Mischief sparkled in his eyes. "The Captain was just explaining the joys of pregnancy, and her efforts to instruct proper rule adherence from the womb."

Brenda had already turned half her attention back to Tao. "Yes, yes," she waved a hand at them. "Sergeant Gabriel, has Robbery-Homicide sent up the files on Detective Stevens other open cases?"

"Uh…" Gabriel was staring at the Captain. He had to tear his gaze away to blink at the Chief. "Not as yet, Chief. We're still waiting on them. Commander Taylor was going to expedite that for us." He spoke slowly, and his gazes kept sliding back toward where the Captain and Lieutenant stood.

"You're pregnant?" Provenza was staring at her, wide-eyed, and just a little horrified. He hadn't heard a word that either the Chief or Gabriel had said. He looked between her and Flynn and suddenly he wasn't so sure his partner was telling the truth when he swore that he'd never touched her. He couldn't really be that crazy, could he?

"Well she didn't swallow a cantaloupe, Lieutenant!" Brenda rolled her eyes at him. Were the men around them really that blind? She'd noticed it about two months before, but wisely decided not to comment on it. She might find the whole thing odd and just a bit absurd, but it was really none of her business. Although she was still questioning what Lieutenant Flynn had to do with the whole thing. She tapped the fingers of one hand against her hip. "People please…" She snapped her fingers at them. "Let's solve the murder first, we can discuss the odd mating rituals of FID later."

Andy's lips pursed. He looked at Sharon beside him. "That was well played."

She pouted. "I'm going to have to give her points for that, aren't I?" She heaved a small sigh. "Pity." She stepped away from him and let her attention shift back to the case. She had actually been paying attention. They just hadn't reached a point in their investigation where she had anything to offer. Until now. "Not to discount the Commander's influence in his former division," Sharon began, "but I may be able to speed that along a little faster." Her head inclined. "I could make a phone call," she suggested helpfully. "If, for example, someone in Robbery-Homicide was given the impression that I might choose to come down and retrieve the files myself…"

"They'd get the lead out to prevent that," Provenza snorted. "Can't say I blame them." He held up his hands and turned in his chair toward her. "No offense, Captain."

"None taken." Sharon smirked, just a bit deviously. "That is, of course, if the Chief agrees…"

She trailed off and Brenda almost wanted to roll her eyes. "By all means, Captain Raydor. If you're willing to get involved on our behalf, we will gladly take the help." There had to be some use for the woman, she thought. Aside from standing around flirting with Lieutenant Flynn. Brenda winced and wanted to take that thought back immediately. That was not a place she wanted her mind to go, ever.

When Sharon turned to move back to his desk, Andy rolled his eyes at her. "Suck-up," he muttered. "Whose trying to be Chief's pet now."

"Shh!" Sharon pointed him back toward the others. "Pay attention, Lieutenant." She was grinning as she lifted his phone and began dialing the extension for Robbery-Homicide."

While she was on the phone, Andy sat on the edge of his desk. He clasped his hands in his lap and listened as she worked her wicked brand of magic on his former division. He was keeping one eye on the happenings of the rest of his team, and in the process, caught the precise moment that Jackson Raydor stepped into the murder room.

Andy tensed and immediately stood. Sharon hadn't seen him yet, and he took a step forward, whether to shield her or block her view, he wasn't sure. Both, he supposed. A dark scowl settled over his face. His arms folded across his chest. Whatever the other man was after, it couldn't be good. Not if he'd come looking for her on the ninth floor. Andy made a mental note to have words with whichever idiot down in FID had given away her location.

While his jaw clenched, tension had his muscles bunching. Anger swept through him, hot, like boiling water. He felt his blood pressure slowly rise, along with his temper. Behind him, he heard the click of the telephone, and felt Sharon turn again. He glanced down at her and watched surprise settle over her face when she met his gaze.

"Lieutenant, what—"

"Sharon, there you are." Jack spotted her at the same moment. He strode toward her, a manilla envelope held in his hand. "I expected to find you downstairs," he said tightly, put out that he'd had to go searching for her. "No matter. I've found you now."

She blinked, more startled at his appearance than she was at the sudden shift in Andy's mood. At least now she understood the reason for it. She felt her own mood begin to falter. "Jack, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Let's go back downstairs. We can talk in my office." She took a step forward and held out a hand, hoping to herd him away from the Major Crimes murder room before he could cause a scene.

"Nothing to talk about." He held out the envelope. "I'll be on my way in just a minute. I just wanted to make sure you got these. You'll be needing them."

Her brows drew together. She gave him a puzzled look as she accepted the envelope. A sense of dread settled inside her. He was being entirely too clipped, not at all his usual self. Even the last time they'd talked, he had tried to initially charm her. That faded the moment she told him about the baby. "I don't understand."

"You will." His brow rose. "You've been served," he said formally. "You'll want your lawyer to look over all of that. I'm sure he'll find it all in order, and completely in accordance with California family law."

Her heart dropped, while her stomach clenched. Her hands felt a little numb as she worked open the envelope. He'd chosen to do this _here_ of all places? She felt heat rise and her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she looked down. Sharon pulled the thick sheaf of papers from the envelope and quickly lifted the cover sheet, which identified it as exactly what he'd indicated. Divorce papers.

She felt her ire rise as she read, quickly, through the summary of the motion. He was asking for half of everything. Her pension, savings, the house. Of course he'd listed his own financial worth, which didn't amount to very much. He was filing a motion that they split their entire estate equally, and he would forego any spousal support. She couldn't quite prevent the ragged sigh that left her. "Jack, I really think we should go somewhere else and discuss this." Her voice sounded odd to her own ears, strangely hollow and far away.

"There's nothing to discuss, sweetheart." The smile he gave her wasn't at all kind. "It's a simple split. You agree to the terms, we sign on the dotted line. You'll have to sell the house," he said casually, "but you were wanting to do that anyway. Unless you'd like to buy me out of my half of the appraised worth. That's really up to you. I'm willing to negotiate the smaller facts. As I said, you'll want to get with your lawyer."

Her eyes narrowed. He was really going to take half of everything, including the house? He would be so callous as to try to put her, and more specifically, their unborn child on the street? Just for the _money_? Fury, hotter than she had ever known washed over her. "You don't get half of anything, Jack. We're legally separated. We have been for twenty years. We stopped accruing community property the moment those papers were filed." Why did he think that she had filed them? To protect herself, and her children, financially from his addictions and debt.

"It's a shame you never went to law school," He said. "You always had a fairly good grasp of the finer points, but that's as far as it goes. What your lawyer will explain to you is that our legal separation was only so good as long as we were actually separated. Reconciliation leaves it null and void." His brows lifted and Jack looked, pointedly, at the now very obvious baby bump. "Honey, you're not going to be able to deny the fact that we reconciled."

Perhaps it was the way that she seemed to pale in front of them. Or it was the way the others were staring at the scene. Andy didn't know. Whatever protective instincts he was developing where she was concerned chose that moment to rear their head. He took a step forward. He stood over the other man and edged slightly in front of Sharon, trying to shield her. "That's bullshit, Jack and you know it." He pointed a finger in his face. His lips pulled back from his teeth in a mean sneer. "You're gonna walk out of here, and you're going to forget all about this. You're not getting a dime from her."

"The law is the law," Jack scowled back at him. He wasn't expecting the attitude, not from his old pal. Hell, he hadn't even really thought Flynn liked his wife. The two of them barely knew each other, and could hardly stand to be around one another. "I know what I can see, and I know what my wife told me. Getting back together last year might not have worked out in the long run, but by some crazy twist of fate, we're expecting again, and that little inconvenience is all the proof I need."

He wanted to deck him. He almost did. Andy's hand clenched into fist. Maybe it was the sharply indrawn breath or the way that she stepped back, as though he'd struck her. Hell, even Provenza looked horrified. Andy couldn't say for sure, but even as the muscles in his arms tensed in preparation for beating the hell out of the son of a bitch, another idea occurred. He didn't have time to really think it through. His mouth opened at the same time the thought went through his mind. "That might be a problem for you, Jack. I happen to know what your wife told you too, and you and I both know it's mine."

Sharon's head snapped up. Her eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped slightly. She stared at him as though he'd lost his mind, and maybe he had. She couldn't entirely grasp what he'd just done. She blinked owlishly instead. Her fingers tightened, almost in spasm, around the papers in her hand. Suddenly her mouth was dry and she shook her head slowly, as if trying to clear the sudden fog. "_Andy__…_"She spoke, but it sounded raw, thick and filled with too much emotion.

He looked back at her, the stricken expression on her face made his chest clench. He just wanted to take her out of there, away from all of it. Fix it somehow, but the solution escaped him. Andy shook his head at her instead. "Look, Sharon, I'm sorry. The son of a bitch is not going to stand here and try to put you on the street because he needs to pay off his bookie. I'm not gong to have it." That much was true. He'd beat him bloody first.

"Wait a minute!" Jack grabbed Flynn's arm and jerked him back around. "Are you telling me that I invited you into my house, and the whole time you were sleeping with my wife?"

"Okay, enough." Brenda managed to shake herself out of the stupor that the other man's arrival had created. She walked over and stood between her Lieutenant and who she supposed was the Captain's husband. She would have words with Flynn later, at the moment, she decided it was better to keep him from doing something stupid. Or something _else_ that was stupid. "I'm going to ask you to leave. We are in the middle of a confidential murder investigation and this is not the time for your family drama. Lieutenant, take the Captain into my office, and the rest of you… let's get those case files from Robbery-Homicide and see what we're dealing with here."

Jack ground his teeth together. He shot a hot glare at his wife. "I'll be seeing you in court. We'll see how things turn out." His first order of business was to ask for a paternity test, he knew full well his wife had been sleeping with him. If she had been sleeping with Flynn too, then it was up in the air. Good riddance, he thought, if it wasn't his. It just meant he wouldn't get slapped with the child support. On the other hand, if it wasn't his, he'd have to find another way to prove they'd reconciled… or just use the adultery angle. Jack was already thinking about how to use it to his advantage, even as he left.

"Come on." Andy put his hands on Sharon's shoulders and turned her. He walked her toward the Chief's office, only a few steps away from his desk. She was stiff, and he realized after only a moment, she was also trembling. He maneuvered her into the office, and only then did he turn her. He didn't like how pale she was. He bent as he studied her face. "Sharon? Say something."

"What did you do?" She stared at him, heart hammering in her chest. Her head was swimming a bit. Her limbs felt a little numb. A chill settled over her. "Andy, what did you _do_?" Sharon shook her head slowly. Had he really just stood there, in front of her husband and the whole of Major Crimes and claimed her child as his own?

"I don't know," he admitted. "I just…" He couldn't even quite believe that he'd done it. His mouth had opened and the words were out before he could fully consider them. "The bastard pissed me off," he admitted. "Look, I'm not going to let him take anything away from you. He's not entitled." Andy bent forward a bit, leaning closer as he studied her face. "He left, he walked out, he's taken enough, Sharon. He's not getting anymore." He drew back and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, so maybe I screwed up a little bit, but who cares? Jack told you he wasn't interested in being around this kid. So what if I tell him it's mine? If it gets you out of a bad divorce and leaves him empty handed, it's not a big deal."

"Andy, people are going to think this baby is really yours!" She shook her head. "Don't you get it? After the rumors that circulated about us at Christmas, it isn't going to be a stretch for a lot of people to believe that we are really having an affair. It's all going to be moot if he asks for a paternity test."

He hadn't thought of that. But he really hadn't thought at all. Andy sighed. "So you refuse. You counter with child support. Make it in his best interests to avoid the paternity test. Sharon, I don't care what you've got to do, but I'm not letting him hurt you again. He's done enough. More than enough, if you ask me."

"Andy." She lay a hand on his arm. She tried to smile, but found she couldn't find the energy for even a small attempt. "I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I can't let you do this. I can't…" Her eyes closed again. The room spun wildly around her. Sharon drew a thin breath. "I'm not going to…" She hummed. Her eyes opened and she found that her vision had gone dark around the edges. Alarmed, she gripped his arms and tried to steady herself. "Andy, I don't feel—"

He caught her when she crumpled. Her face had gone stark white and her body seemed to wilt. He drew her up against him and realized that she felt clammy to the touch. With an arm around her waist, he lifted her left wrist in his hand. Her pulse was racing. "Sharon…" He hefted her in his arms, but she was limp, dead weight. Andy stepped backward, toward the door. He kept her pressed tightly to his chest and swept the door open with his other arm. "Call an ambulance."

Brenda jumped when the door swung inward. She narrowly avoided being drug inward and off her feet along with it. She was ready to blast both of those dunderheads and demand to know what was going on, but was met by the concerned, and slightly panicked expression on her Lieutenant's face. "Lieutenant Tao!" Brenda hurried forward and moved behind the Captain. Her hands braced her head, to steady it. "Let's lay her down," she instructed. She cast a look into the murder room and spied Lieutenant Provenza already on the phone, while Tao joined them.

"What happened?" Tao knelt with them as the three of them lowered the unconscious woman the floor. He lay a hand against her neck and looked at his watch. He didn't even have to fully count out the pulse to know that it was much too high.

"She went pale," Andy explained. He lay a hand against her forehead and wrapped his other around hers. "Then she just… I don't know, fainted, I guess. Her heart is racing."

"I suspect her blood pressure spiked," Tao stated. "It would be common," he shrugged, a bit awkwardly as he addressed the Chief and Flynn, "in her condition, given her age. Lieutenant Provenza is calling an ambulance, I suggest we roll her onto her side. That will help."

"Alright, help me roll her," Brenda said. She braced the Captain's head in her hands again and let the two men maneuver her onto her side. "Lieutenant Flynn, hold her in place." Her brows drew together. "She's freezing, Lieutenant Tao, get my sweater off the coat rack there," she indicated the item hanging in the corner. As the other Lieutenant did as she'd asked, and the Captain was covered, she studied Andy. He was busy watching the Captain. He looked genuinely concerned. Brenda glanced at Tao and nodded him toward the door, out of the office. "Lieutenant," she waited until Tao had gone. "What is going on here?"

Andy looked up at her. He shook his head. "Things have just gotten a little complicated and out of control," that was true enough. Thanks in large part to him. He was kicking himself already. He should have stayed out of it. He wanted to help her, and he'd done this to her instead.

Brenda sighed. Yes, she could see that for herself. "Lieutenant…" She hesitated. Then she shook her head. "Is it? Yours? The baby I mean…" Not that it really mattered to her. Whether Lieutenant Flynn was involved or not, the Captain certainly had not deserved what just happened to her. It didn't matter what she'd done. That was all work stuff. Her personal life was… well, it was hers, and no one deserved to be treated in that manner, not by someone who was meant to love them. She had been there. Maybe not in this _exact_ set of circumstances, but Brenda once had a husband who turned out to be a complete bastard. She could sympathize.

He stared back at her, long and hard. After a moment, Andy let his gaze fall to Sharon. She looked small, and strangely vulnerable lying there. His jaw clenched. He recalled what he felt earlier, when he opened his mouth and stuck his foot in it. Sharon was going to shoot him, and probably shoot him dead. He nodded once. "It's mine."

She didn't know if she really believed him. It didn't seem to matter. Brenda lowered her gaze to the woman between them. "Okay," was all she said, in her softly lilting accent. "We protect our own, Lieutenant." It was more than just protecting a brother or sister in blue, and surely they'd do that anyway. They didn't have to like her, and they didn't have to get along with her. She was one of theirs. No, Major Crimes protected _their own_. That extended to the families and loved ones of its members. Odd though it might be, and she resolved to twist his ear later, because whatever he had done or was up to she just knew Flynn had been naughty, it wasn't for them to decide to believe him or not. If he said it, it was so, and that he said it… well, that spoke volumes. It was enough. They would close ranks.

The Captain wasn't going to like it. Brenda was quite sure that she would absolutely hate it. She decided that would just be a little added bonus. She would just have to learn to live with it.

MCMCMCMCMCMC

She came to in the emergency room. They had placed her in a cubicle upon arrival and already there were monitors surrounding the bed. A heart monitor was keeping track of her heart rate and blood pressure, while a fetal monitor kept track of the baby. The flurry of activity that surrounded her upon their arrival left Andy feeling a little light headed. They had taken blood and hooked her up to the monitors before leaving her in the cubicle to be monitored while the tests were run.

Andy sat in a hard plastic chair. He had pulled it close to the bed. He held her hand in his, and reflected at how small and delicate it seemed in comparison to his. The rest of the team had remained behind. There was still a case to be worked. He had been given strict instructions to keep them updated. That had come, surprisingly, from Chief Johnson herself. She wanted to know what was happening. Sharon would never believe it. He made note to tell her, after she shot him.

He looked up, away from her hand when he heard her groan. A frown drew her brows together and she lifted her other hand to her forehead. "Hey." Andy stood up and leaned over her. "Easy..." He reached across her for the other hand and gently drew it back down, to keep her from tangling the IV. "You're okay."

"Hmm." She hummed quietly and slowly her eyes fluttered open. "What happened?" She blinked against the harsh overhead lights and let her eyes close again as it sent a sharper ache through her head. "Andy, where..."

"You're at St. Catherine's," he said quietly. His thumb swept across her hand. He eased his hip onto the edge of the bed and leaned closer, speaking quietly. "Your blood pressure was too high and you passed out. They said you might have a headache when you woke up. They've given you something to bring it down..." He watched her eyes open again, saw the fear that entered them. "He's okay too." A small smile curved his lips. "Strong kid. They checked him out first thing." He nodded to the monitor that was strapped to her stomach. "Ultrasound looked good, and his heartbeat is great. They're going to keep an eye on him. They're running some tests right now, to make sure nothing else is going on, but they're pretty sure it was probably just the stress..." He trailed off and a sad look crossed his face. "Sharon..."

Her eyes closed again. She tugged her hand out of his and covered her eyes. She drew a shaking breath. Her other hand covered her stomach. Beneath she felt the faint flutter of movement from her son that reminded her of his presence. Her relief was great. It left her feeling oddly weak, but beneath that, was the heavy feeling of disappointment and hurt that came with knowing that her husband cared so little for her that he had actually... Sharon forced her eyes open. She looked at the man beside her, felt her eyes sting with barely contained emotion. "Did that really happen?" She asked softly.

"Yeah." He sighed. "It did. Look, I'm..." He shook his head. Andy looked down at where he had wrapped his hand around hers again. "I know I only made the whole thing worse. I wasn't even thinking, I just... he was standing there, and I could see what it was doing to you. It was the first thing that came to mind. I shouldn't have said anything, but dammit." Andy's gaze was steady, despite his urge to fidget. "I couldn't just let him stand there and threaten to take everything away from you. The son of a bitch didn't even care what it was doing to you, or to the baby, I had to stop it. It was the first thing that entered my head and-"

"It's okay." He was beating himself up. Sharon saw the guilt fill his expression. She turned her hand beneath his and wrapped her fingers around his wide palm. It was so like everything that she knew about him. Flynn often acted on impulse, usually from a desire to do the right thing. It didn't always turn out that way, but he tried. It was why she often approached the cases that crossed her desk that involved him from the point of view that he must have been _thinking _the right thing even if he hadn't _done_ the right thing. This time it was born of a desire to help her, perhaps even to protect her as odd as that was. She couldn't be mad at him, irritated perhaps, at the mess that it might create, but certainly not angry. "I understand why you did it," she said gently. "But it can't go on. Andy we can't let people believe that you're really this child's father. I can't lie about that, and we both know perfectly well that it _is_ a lie."

It was the sadness in her gaze, or perhaps the way that her voice hitched. Andy lowered his gaze to their joined hands again. "It may be a lie," he said, "but what does it really hurt, Sharon?" When he looked at her again, he shrugged. "Think about it for a minute. Jack doesn't want this." He knew that it hurt her, and he was sorry for that, but it couldn't be changed. "He doesn't care. As much as you wish otherwise, and I wish I could fix that for you, it's just the way it is. It might end up being a bigger mess than it needs to be, but, what if it isn't? If we can get you through this divorce, what does it really matter? It's not like we're breaking any rules." He offered a small half-grin, "People already think we slept together, or _are_ sleeping together. So what? Those same people already think the kid is mine anyway. So we're letting a few more think it too. We know the truth, Sharon, and your kids know the truth. Does anyone else really matter?"

"Why?" She stared at him. Sharon didn't understand why he wanted to do this, or what could possibly be going through his mind. It was kind of him to offer, but the very idea of it was just so many shades of absurd. He had impulsively tried to help her, but why keep up the facade? She was giving him a way out, shouldn't he take it? "Why would you do this? Why turn your life upside down for this, for me?" She shook her head at him, but regretted it when the action only made it ache that much more. "Andy, you don't even like me."

"Don't I?" His hand squeezed hers. "You know, I thought we were friends. I think that pretty much guarantees that I like you, at least a little bit." He rubbed his hand across his forehead. "I messed up, okay? I screwed up everything I had. I was that guy too, you know. I drank my way right out of my family, and almost out of my job. I still haven't managed to really fix all the things I did wrong, and I may not ever be able to. I can do this. I can make this right, because Sharon, letting you go through this alone, without any kind of help, that would be wrong. I'm not saying it's the best idea I've ever had, and I could probably think of something better, hell..." He shook his head and chuckled quietly. "I'm sure you could think of a half dozen better ideas. There you have it. It's done." Andy's eyes sparkled. He grinned at her. "You know, I already told Chief it was mine. You know, that I was _sure_ it was mine. So you could be stuck with me now."

"Oh god, you didn't?" Her eyes closed. She groaned. "_Andy_!" She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head at him. "You don't have to help me to make up for your past, Andy. I know you're trying. I can see it. If others can't..." She trailed off with a small shrug, she couldn't correct that for him, and she couldn't make it hurt any less. To her way of thinking, he'd come a long way. His family was lucky to have him. "We'll need to come clean to everyone," she told him. "I appreciate, more than you know, what you were willing to do, but it just isn't right, Andy. I can't let you perpetuate that lie. It isn't fair. It would affect you more than you think, and I can't let you do that." She tugged her hand out of his and gripped his wrist, tightly. "I am still so grateful to have you, but my answer to this has to be no."

Andy nodded slowly. His head tilted. He couldn't force her into it. He couldn't coerce Sharon into letting him help her. But there was much more than she was thinking about currently. "What if Jack wins?" His brows lifted. His dark eyes studied her closely. "What if he gets half of everything you've got, or changes his mind about the spousal support? What if you have to sell your house, or buy him out of it?" He clasped his hands against his lap and let his mind roll through all of the worst case scenarios. All of the things that he thought she wasn't letting herself think about. All the things she shouldn't _have_ to think about right now, especially in her condition. "What if something happens to you, Sharon? Or god forbid, the baby? What if you can't work, or have to retire, or get hurt..." The thought made him nauseous. He looked down at her and his eyes widened a bit before he got control of himself. He thought of her, limp and unconscious in his arms, so small and vulnerable and had to swallow hard against the sudden lump in his throat. "You're going to take a financial hit, and then what happens? What happens to your other kids? How are you going to pay for college? You know, I'd give you money if I had it. I'd buy him off myself, but I can't. I can do _this_," he nodded to her stomach. "I can claim Joey as mine, at least until the divorce is final. Let me help you protect your kids, Sharon. All of them."

She looked away and shifted on the thin mattress. She was painfully aware of just how badly all of it could go. She would be okay financially if she had to stop working. Sharon had already budgeted out to almost the finite degree just how thinly she could stretch her finances if the remainder of her pregnancy went badly. Or if, for some reason, she couldn't return to work afterward. What she had not factored into those calculations was Jack wanting half of everything. When added into the equation, Andy was right. She couldn't support herself, or her baby, or pay for college for Emily and Ricky. She wouldn't be able to even think of affording Stanford then. There was no way she'd be able to help Emily get established in New York in the fall. Her children would be impacted, and it was more than the tiny boy that was growing inside of her. Emily and Ricky would have to put their dreams on hold, or find other ways to make them happen.

Tears pooled in her eyes. She didn't want to think of a reality where Jack could actually win. The fact remained, they had reconciled. This baby was proof of that. They had lived together, again, as husband and wife. She could not imagine what her lawyer could do to remove her from that situation. Under standard California law, Jack was entitled to half of their community property. Her lips trembled and Sharon pressed her fingers against them. She looked up at him, feeling so very lost. Every time she began to think that Jack couldn't possibly hurt her again, or any worse than he already had, she was proved so incredibly and desperately mistaken.

"What do we do if he asks for a paternity test," she asked quietly. "Don't you think that might put a wrench in your idea? I can refuse the test as long as I'm pregnant, I don't have to submit myself to anything which could be potentially harmful to myself or the baby, but once the baby is born all Jack has to do is ask for a court order. If there's any question as to paternity, and your claiming the baby would create that, so long as Jack is willing to claim him too..." Sharon sighed quietly, sadly. "Andy, this could blow up in our faces in the end. It could all be for nothing. He could win anyway. That I lied could even work in his favor."

"Not if you press for child support." Andy leaned forward. He reached down and swept a lock of hair behind her ear. He hated to see her looking so vulnerable. It made something shift and ache inside him. He could imagine how much she disliked it too. This wasn't _her_, it wasn't Sharon. Not as they knew her. She was a force to be reckoned with. The Wicked Witch. Darth Raydor. People stood out of her way and those that didn't, paid the price. Only, he supposed she wasn't _Raydor_ at the moment. She was just Sharon, and he was learning that Sharon was someone entirely different. She warm, caring, and could have her heart broken just as easily as the rest of the world. Which was exactly what Jack had done to her. "Make it clear to Jack that if he asks for paternity," Andy continued, "that you will go after him for child support. Tell him you're retiring, tell him that he will be paying spousal support. Use his past against him. He walked out on you twenty years ago... and I'm guessing he never paid a cent of support for the other two. They're both still in college. You could get him on back support. He'd end up paying you more than half your worth. Hit him where it hurts, Sharon. Make him think you're going after him financially. Guys like that... like Jack... they fold and run every time." His brow arched. "Go on the offensive. Get your broom out and beat him with it. Don't let him win."

"Hm." Her eyes closed again. "You make it sound so simple." She felt so very tired. The entire ordeal had left her feeling exhausted and weak. Her hand draped loosely over her stomach. She stroked it in slow, gentle circles. "It doesn't feel right," she said softly. "Using you this way." It was that which she couldn't wrap her mind around. In the end, she would only be using him. Her life might be better for it, but what of his? How could she pull him into the chaos of her situation. How could she protect him from the worst of it? It surprised her that she wanted to, but she was beginning to realize that Andy Flynn was someone that she could count on, and she was more than just grateful for having him in her life at present. She was lucky to have him.

"You're not using me if I'm offering." He smiled down at her. "It was my idea." He shrugged. "Let's just see where it goes. If it doesn't work, we think of something else. There are people who care about what happens to you, Sharon. Let them." A grin tugged at his lips. "I mean, Major Crimes has already closed ranks around you."

"What?" Her eyes opened and went wide with surprise. "Why would they do that?" His team hated her. There was no love lost between Major Crimes and FID.

"We protect our own." Andy's dark eyes glittered. His gaze moved to her stomach. "Apparently Major Crimes and FID got together and we're giving birth to the anti-christ... you know, according to Provenza."

"Oh my god." She groaned. Sharon reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand. The other continued to sooth her child. "Andy, I don't know if I can do this. You might like me, but they really don't, and they don't have to..."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "But they like me. And they might surprise you. Ya know... we're not bad people. We just... don't like your rules."

Sharon snorted at him. "You don't say." She rubbed her lips together. She was still teetering on the edge of agreeing. She didn't want to, but when he laid it out for her the way that he had, what other choice was there? "It's a temporary solution at best. In the end, the truth will have to be told. You are not this baby's father."

"In the end," he said, "It won't matter. As long as you have what you need and Jack is sent packing. That's all I care about."

She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Do you do crazy things like this for all your friends?"

Andy grinned crookedly at her. "Well, did I ever tell you about the time that Provenza and I went to a ball game and left a body-"

"Oh please god, don't finish that story." Sharon couldn't hear things like that, not in her capacity as a member of FID. "You're insane."

"Yeah." He nudged her gently. "But you like me anyway."

"I'm really beginning to wonder why." She smiled warmly up at him. "Thank you." She touched his hand again. "I mean that. If at anytime this becomes too much, or you need out. If you even just _want_ out, Andy, don't hesitate. When you get your sanity back and you realize what you've put in motion for us... you can back out. I'll understand, and it will still mean so much to me."

"I'm not backing out," He promised her. Andy winked at her. "I promise. This was my crazy idea, and... I'll stick by it. You've got me, Sharon. As long as you need me."

A soft, affectionate smile curved her lips. "I'm lucky to have you," she whispered. "I have friends, Andy... very good friends, but none quite as crazy as you." Her eyes glittered. "I'm so thankful for that. In case I don't say it, or I let you think otherwise. Just know that I am thankful for all that you've done."

"Don't thank me yet." Andy looked down, uncomfortable with her gratitude. "Provenza isn't happy. Let's wait until after you've seen him again."

"Oh I'm not worried about him." She smiled, it lit her eyes. It couldn't completely chase away all of the pain or fear she currently felt. "I can deal with Lieutenant Provenza. I'm still the wicked witch, it's just as far as he knows, I've just been impregnated by the dev-"

"Alright now." Andy rolled his eyes at her. "Let's be nice."

Sharon pouted at him. She reached for his hand again, let their fingers intertwine. "As soon as this situation with Jack has been resolved, we'll come clean," she stated. "We'll use it as a stalling mechanism, and nothing more. If my lawyer comes up with a better idea, then we let him run with it, and we come clean. I'm not going to let this take over your life. You're doing me a favor and I appreciate that, but this lie cannot go on indefinitely."

Andy started laughing. "You're the only person I know that would put conditions on the favor that someone was doing you." The look he gave her was warm, affection had his dark eyes sparkling. "Deal." He nodded. "We'll do it your way. It's temporary, and if something better comes up, then we do that instead."

"Thank you." Sharon shifted on the bed again. She looked uncomfortable for a moment. Laying on her back, or in any position too long wasn't entirely comfortable. Her body ached with it. "Do we know when they'll have any of the results back?"

It was as though her words summoned the physician. The curtain of her small cubicle was pulled aside and the on-call doctor stepped inside. Andy grinned at her. "How do you do that?"

Sharon reached over and gave his hand a pat. "You'll learn." She pushed herself up slightly in the bed.

"Captain Raydor," The doctor looked up from the tablet in her hand. "It is Captain isn't it?" She glanced at the man seated beside her patient. "The lieutenant told us you might not appreciate being called Missus at the moment."

Sharon shot an amused look at Andy. When he only shrugged at her, she shook her head at him. "Captain is fine, Doctor…" She trailed off, since she didn't know the woman's name.

"Matthews." She moved alongside the bed. "I'm the on-call OB resident today. I see that you've been a patient here before," she studied the tablet and the patient chart that had been called up on it. "I've sent copies of all your tests results over to the doctor on file. Doctor Nelson called in a few minutes ago, and she agrees with our findings." The tablet was lowered and she smiled. "Your blood pressure and stress levels are too high. The incident today was a warning. I understand that there was something which precipitated this event, but you're going to need to monitor your stress levels in the future. I don't have to tell you that your condition is very serious. For the moment, all of your tests are normal. Your baby looks healthy, and there doesn't appear to have been any damage caused to the placental vessels." She paused. "What we're going to do is continue to monitor you overnight. If there are no more incidents tonight, then we will release you tomorrow."

"Good." Sharon exhaled, her relief flowed over her. She felt Andy's hand tighten around hers and looked up at him. She smiled. "What happens next, after I'm released tomorrow? When can I go back to work?"

"Sharon." Andy scowled at her. "Don't you think you should take a few days off?"

"Which is what her regular OB and I are recommending," Doctor Matthews said. "One week. Take it easy for a week, follow up with your doctor, and if she agrees, then she will release you to return to work."

"A week?" Sharon's eyes widened. "I can't be out a week. I'm in the middle of an audit, Andy!" She turned to him immediately. "There's no way that I'll be able to finish running through Detective Stevens activities if I'm out for a week…"

He could just imagine what Chief Johnson would say about that too. Andy sighed quietly. "Yeah, I know, but what about the baby?" He shrugged. "I mean, it's all about doing what's right, isn't it? You got to think about Joey. The rest doesn't matter."

The way his fingers brushed the edge of her stomach when he spoke, Sharon inhaled deeply. "You're right." She shook her head. "I just…" She cringed. "Your chief is going to eat my team alive."

"Probably." Andy laughed. "Look, I'll ask her to… chill out on them a little, okay? I mean, I should get to play the daddy card for good things, right? I'll lay it on thick. I'll just tell her that it would help your condition if you knew that your team was being taken care of. Just like she'd want to know that _her team _was getting the right treatment too."

"Oh god." Sharon moaned. He was actually giving a name to the insanity of this situation that he'd gotten them into. It couldn't end well. It really couldn't. "Thank you, Doctor." She waited, endured as the doctor checked her monitors and made notes in her file. Once the woman had left, Sharon cut a narrow-eyed look at Andy. "_Daddy card_?"

"Yeah." He smirked. "Don't worry. I will only use it's powers for good." He paused while he smirked at her. "Tormenting people, of course. Provenza, Narcotics, the Chief… Commander Taylor."

"You really are a bad, bad man, aren't you?" She shook her head. In spite of it, Sharon laughed. Her baby was healthy, and it seemed for the moment, she was okay too. They would need to be more careful. She would need to rein Flynn in. Well, what was new?

Seemed like another ordinary day to her.


	8. Chapter 8

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

When she was a little girl her father told her that she could be anything that she wanted to be. She could have anything she wanted. That if she worked hard, and she did her best, all of her dreams could come true.

She dreamed of being a princess. She would live in a shiny castle, and there would be a handsome prince. Then she turned five and knew that being a princess was for little girls who didn't know any better. Later she dreamed of being a doctor, or a scientist. She would save lives and make things better for people. As she grew up, her interests changed.

When she left home for college, Sharon knew that she would be a lawyer. That her career would be outstanding, and someday she would sit on a judge's bench, just as her father had done. The first time she fell in love, she dreamed of the perfect wedding. That relationship didn't last, but the dream remained.

It came true later. At twenty-two, when she pictured the way that her life would unfold, she had her prince, and they had busy, successful careers and beautiful children.

The children came, and so did the career, just not in the same way that she imagined it would. The prince went away. Left alone, her dreams changed. She wanted only happy, safe children, with the opportunity to live their dreams. She wanted to give them the world.

If she had been told that at forty-seven, this would be her life, Sharon would never have believed it. If she had been told at forty-six that these things would be happening to her, she would have checked the messenger and herself into a psychiatric hospital for careful monitoring. She would have never believed that she would be once again planning the arrival of a new baby, or that she would be doing it alongside the troublemaking Andy Flynn. She sure as hell wouldn't believe that she would be surrounded by the whole of Major Crimes.

Sharon still didn't believe it, and she was _living_ it.

To say that things had changed around the Major Crimes murder room was an understatement unlike any that Sharon had ever heard before. She was becoming something of a regular fixture around there. She couldn't prove it, but she had a feeling that they were calling on her more out of some odd attempt at keeping an eye on her. Where, in the past, they would have avoided FID and the Professional Standards Bureau as though they had the plague, they were now consulting her almost constantly. It was amazingly sweet, but also strangely disturbing.

When Andy told her that they were closing ranks, he wasn't kidding. Sharon dealt with mistrust and dislike on an almost constant basis. Suddenly, she found herself flanked by members of Major Crimes more often than she dealt with it alone. If there was a disgruntled officer, he could not look harshly at her without Detective Sanchez standing in his way. How the younger officer always managed to materialize at just the right moment, she didn't know. Sharon decided it was best to not question it.

If it wasn't Sanchez, then it was Andy himself. He had no problem intimidating others, and he bore her temper better than he used to. If Sharon lost her cool with him, he just grinned back at her. He told her it was all part of the service that he was providing. How he managed to make that sound both charming _and_ decidedly naughty, she didn't know. She usually ended up banishing him from her presence until she regained her cool.

Taking care of herself and her baby were first and foremost on her mind, and for that reason she tried to be more careful about the long hours that she worked. It could not always be avoided, and somehow, on those evenings when she stayed late, takeout would mysteriously arrive on her desk. Well, perhaps not so mysteriously. When he made his food runs for Major Crimes, Buzz Watson would swing by her office and drop something off for her too.

The rumors that she and Andy had only suspected would begin to circulate the office were now running rampant. There were odd and knowing looks. People looked at both of them a little differently. Mostly, she knew that they wondered what Flynn saw in her. Sharon didn't particularly care about that. People could think as they liked.

She was too busy thinking about how she was going to make it through the remainder of this pregnancy with her sanity in tact. Not an easy feat if Major Crimes was going to be involved.

Although, she also had to admit, there was some part of it that was just a little fun.

With the progression of her second trimester and during the month that passed following Jack's fateful visit to the Murder Room, Sharon chose to settle in and try to enjoy what remained of her pregnancy. The matter of _Raydor vs Raydor_ was not going well at all. Jack was being difficult. He was stalling, and she knew why. They knew that he was going to insist on a paternity test, so it was in his best interests to drag the divorce proceedings out just as long as he could. Sharon was leaving it all in the hands of her lawyer.

She didn't need the stress. She was taking her doctor's warnings seriously. If she wanted to deliver a healthy baby at the end of her pregnancy, then she needed to remain calm and monitor her health more closely. She imagined that having fun must be good for her stress levels.

Nothing was quite so much fun as the disturbed looks on the faces of Lieutenant Provenza and Sergeant Gabriel. The younger man seemed to have some issue with the fact that a woman her age was still enjoying all the pleasures of sex, much less able to get pregnant. The older man, well, Provenza was disturbed by her in general. She rather enjoyed that. Her presence bothered him. So she didn't mind sliding into the Murder Room on a more regular basis for that reason alone.

Leaning against the edge of Andy Flynn's desk seemed to have become a permanent location for her. Her weight was balanced against one hand while her other hand rested atop her rounded stomach. At more than six months pregnant it was quite obvious that there was a small human growing inside of her. She shook her head as the team discussed their game plan for the interview that was about to begin. "I cannot be hearing this." She rolled her eyes heavenward and momentarily imagined putting her fingers in her ears and humming. "How you people have retained your badges, I'll never know."

"Oh cheer up, Captain, we're the good guys." Brenda leaned against the desk beside her and smirked. In her hand was a chocolate bar. "You never had to worry about how we did things before."

"That's what scares me." Sharon shook her head. "It's all the undocumented cases of naughty that you people have committed."

"It's only naughty if we get caught." Brenda grinned as she broke off half the bar and handed it to her. Cravings were becoming as much of a fixture as the captain herself. They seemed to swing from a need for sweet to a need for incredibly spicy without any warning at all. She appeared to be on one of her sweet cravings. Specifically, it was a craving for chocolate. That was something that Brenda could appreciate, at least. Even if she had no interest in ever becoming pregnant herself.

"Hm." Sharon took the bar and rolled her eyes. "That is something that _you_ would say."

From where he stood nearby, Andy Flynn smirked deviously. "If a tree falls in the forest, do you-"

"Oh please don't." Sharon cut him off and cast a look at him from over the rims of her glasses. "Don't try to be philosophical, it just doesn't look right on you."

"What?" He held up his hands. Andy looked incredulously around the Murder Room as the others laughed. "I can be a philosophical guy."

"Trying to decide whether or not the Dodgers play better when they wear the blue jerseys with the white lettering or the white jerseys with the blue lettering does not constitute philosophy," Sharon drawled. "That's just so many levels of-"

"If the word pathetic comes out of your mouth again." Andy pointed a finger at her. "You and I are going to have words."

"Hm." Sharon broke off a corner of the chocolate bar and placed it in her mouth. Her lashes fluttered at him. She chewed thoughtfully and then she smiled, just sweetly enough that Sergeant Gabriel, who sat at his desk only a foot behind the Lieutenant, slid farther away. "No, the word that came to mind was pitiful, but we can go with pathetic if it makes you feel better."

Brenda tilted her head in consideration. She slanted a look at the Captain beside her. "I've never understood the baseball obsession. Has he ever told you about the time that he and Lieutenant Provenza-"

"Lalala," Sharon did put her fingers in her ears then. "I don't want to know. Any story that begins with the words _Flynn and Provenza_ is not going to end well, and will probably send me into a seventy-two hour reporting cycle. I can't even promise that it would end well for them."

"What happened to following the rules?" This from Sergeant Gabriel, who was watching the Captain closely. Her very presence had him on edge. She was up to something, clearly, and there had to be more to it than just the fact that she was now, apparently, having the Lieutenant's baby. Which, now that he thought about it, what was the Lieutenant _thinking_? Why would anyone want to cozy up to _that_ woman? Why was she being so nice to them all of a sudden? It wasn't as though she liked them. They didn't like her. Or did they? His eyes narrowed a bit. It was just all so many shades of disturbing. God save him from horny old people.

Sharon smirked as she broke off another piece of chocolate. "Well, it's like your Chief said. If I don't know about it, I don't have to report on it."

"In other words, there's a double standard," Provenza snarked. "When we say it, it's _naughty_," he made air quotes. "When she says it, she's being _helpful_." He scowled at all of them. If Raydor was hanging around with them now, he knew it was his partner's fault. He made a mental note to get even with him for that. _A lot_. "For the record," he groused. "This is all your fault." He pointed a finger at Flynn. "You've brought on the apocalypse." As he said it, his arm flung out in the direction of where the Chief and the Captain now sat, practically shoulder to shoulder, sharing a chocolate bar.

"The apocalypse?" Sharon's brows rose. "Would you care to explain Lieutenant?" The lowered inflection of her voice had Gabriel wincing. Sanchez bowed his head, but from the tremble of his shoulders, she could tell that he was laughing. She was beginning to think that he might just be her favorite.

Beside her, Brenda's arms folded against her chest. "I'm interested in hearing that too." She looked at the Captain. "Just because we have opted to promote a sense of professionalism in the workplace doesn't mean we are heralding in the end of the world. For heaven's sake, I can be polite." She waved a hand at the other woman. "You can be polite. It doesn't mean fireballs are going to start falling from the sky."

"Lightening maybe," Provenza muttered. He scowled at Flynn again.

"What?" The Lieutenant held up his hands in a helpless gesture again. "What did _I_ do?"

"I think that's pretty obvious." Provenza turned in his chair and pointed at the Captain's ever expanding midsection. "Somehow, when Chief Delk said he wanted us to be able to get along with FID, I don't think_ that_ is what he had in mind."

Sharon glanced at Andy. The two of them shared a look. His eyes glittered playfully. Her lips turned up in a small smile before she carefully schooled them into a pout. She turned her attention onto his partner, while her hand stroked the spot where the baby had just kicked her. "So then, you don't want to be Joey's godfather?"

How she managed to make her voice sound _that_ haltingly sad, Andy didn't know. It worked however, he almost laughed when Provenza began to sputter. Every eye in the room had turned to him, and even Gabriel was glaring at the older Lieutenant. He knew the younger man seemed to have some issue with the Captain, possibly a holdover from his OIS the previous year. Andy shook his head. He walked over and leaned against the desk on Sharon's other side. He reached up and lay a hand on the back of her neck, beneath her hair. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "We can ask someone else."

"I know," she sighed. Sharon leaned into his side. She kept her face lowered, and let the curtain of her hair hide it and the difficulty that she was having in maintaining the downtrodden look. "I know that you wanted Provenza. I just didn't think that he disliked me that badly. Or even if he did, I thought he could overlook that for the sake of the baby..."

If there was one thing that Brenda Leigh knew, it was when Flynn was up to something. She had witnessed the look that passed between the pair, and snorted quietly as they began their little song and dance. "Oh for crying out loud." She pushed away from the desk, already shaking her head. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves." She still wasn't entirely sure what was going on between them, or that they were even truly involved, but they did seem to be able to communicate quickly, silently. In a way that was reminiscent of her own relationship with Fritz. In a way she had seen her parents communicate a thousand times over the years. It was a look, or a smile, even the tilt of a head. It was disturbing, considering the two people involved, it was also just a little bit sweet when she factored in everything that she knew about the Lieutenant and his past. Whatever this was, she hoped it wouldn't blow up in their faces. She may not particularly like the Captain, and lord only knew the Captain felt the same way about her, but that didn't mean she wished ill on her, or on that baby. Whoever the father might be.

Sharon looked up at Andy and this time her pout was genuine. Their fun had been spoiled. "He started it."

"I know." He laughed as he moved away from her, taking a more respectful position against the desk. "It's okay, you're still the she-devil."

"I'm never going to be able to keep up with all of the nicknames you people have for me." Sharon shook her head. She looked up and smiled brightly when Lieutenant Tao appeared in front of her. He held out a cup of tea that she gladly accepted. "Thank you, Lieutenant." They both seemed to have a fondness for ginger tea. Sharon's was entirely promoted by her pregnancy and the fact that it helped with the nausea. She appreciated that the Lieutenant seemed to understand that, and recalled that he had a wife and children at home.

"Chief, we're ready." Buzz poked his head into the room from electronics.

"I will get even with you." Provenza stood up from his desk to move into the electronics room for the interview. He shook his head at his partner.

Sharon's lashes fluttered. "And my little dog too," she simpered.

Sanchez snickered as he stood. "I don't think that's exactly how it went ma'am." He didn't think that she was so bad when she was like this. Although, he never really thought she was all that bad to start with. She was always fair with him. Of course, he still thought she was wicked. He wouldn't get on her bad side, not for anything. He'd seen what she could do.

"Hm." She shrugged. "You're probably right, Detective." Sharon pushed away from the desk. "I have a budget meeting in half an hour. You'll let me know how it turns out?" She glanced at Flynn, but then let her gaze move to the Chief.

"Absolutely, Captain Raydor." Brenda walked toward her office. "We'll make sure that you get a copy of the interview for your records. If we need anything else, we'll let you know."

Andy glanced at his watch. He would be needed there for a while, first with the interview and then any followup. "I'll call you when we get done," he said quietly. "I shouldn't be here too late tonight. I can drop by and finish hanging those shelves, if you like?"

Her smile softened. If nothing else, Andy Flynn was good for manual labor. She would never be able to fully repay him for all that he was doing for her. The nursery was beginning to come together beautifully thanks to his hard work. He didn't seem to mind it, particularly when she cooked for him. He could be such a typical bachelor in that way, so used to living alone and either cooking for himself or eating out, that there was just so much that he was willing to do for a home-cooked meal. It was also a little known fact, at least outside her family, Sharon enjoyed cooking. Doing it for one more wasn't a hardship, especially since she wasn't used to cooking for one person yet. It seemed that just as she started getting used to the idea after Ricky left for school a few years before, Jack was there again. Then he was gone, and now it seemed, there was Andy. If a meal was all he needed her to offer, Sharon was more than happy to do that for Andy, given all he was doing to help her. It went so far beyond just helping with the nursery, it also encompassed the facade that they were currently projecting to the rest of the world, the shield that he was providing by pretending to be her baby's father. He was proving himself to be a very good friend, and if she made no other decisions, all joking aside, she was sure that she had already found her child's godfather.

"Andy, it's a Friday night." She cast a careful look around them, and then stepped forward. She lay a hand on his arm. "I appreciate all that you've done, but if you have other plans, then the shelves can wait. I don't want this interfering with your life," she said softly. "I want you to be able to continue living your life the way that you were before all of this."

"You know," He took a step closer and let his voice pitch lower. "Maybe that's exactly how I want to spend my Friday night. Did you ever think of that? Look, Sharon, people go out with their friends on the weekend. The way I see it, that's what I'm doing. Besides..." His dark eyes sparkled. He grinned crookedly down at her. "I thought maybe you could make that Mediterranean pasta thing."

He looked so hopeful, just like a little boy. Sharon laughed outright. "Are you sure that you don't mind if I put chicken or shrimp in it?" He was a vegetarian, that had been an interesting thing to learn about him. Sharon never would have pegged Andy Flynn for the type.

"Nah," he shrugged. "I don't mind it. I mean, I don't eat it, but I used to, so it's not really a big thing to me for other people. I can work around it." He rocked back on his heels and continued to give her a small, hopeful smile. "I can bring dessert..." He knew a place that made the best cheesecake. He would swing by and get one, Sharon would love it, he was sure.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh alright. I'll make the Mediterranean pasta. But I'm serious, Andy Flynn. This is not going to get in the way of-"

"It's not." He reached out and flipped her hair over her shoulder. He grinned playfully. "I'm a big boy. Besides, I know how stubborn you are. You'll get impatient and try to hang the damned shelves yourself. We can't have that. Joey and I have to keep an eye on you."

"Hm." Sharon shook her head. "It's important that you believe that. Okay, go, be a good Lieutenant and I will feed you tonight," she waved him off.

As if summoned by her dismissal, Provenza poked his head back into the room. "Flynn!" He bellowed for his partner. "Stop flirting with your baby mama and get in here. We don't have all day!"

He watched Sharon's cheeks flush a light shade of pink and sighed. "One day, I'm really going to throttle that old man." Andy stepped around her, but paused. He lay a hand against her stomach. "You're in charge, Joey. Keep an eye on her." When the baby bumped against his hand, he winked at her, then strode toward electronics where the remainder of his team waited.

Warmth filled her. Sharon drew a small breath. It was only natural that he would touch her, given the act they were putting on for everyone. It just took her by surprise when he did it. He made it seem like it _was_ natural, that he touched her like that regularly, when nothing could be farther from the truth. She turned away, more shaken by it than she would have liked to be and hastened out of the murder room. It was just how Jack had touched her, during her previous pregnancies back when they were happy. Before he was intent on destroying her. Before he decided that having a life and a family with her was so displeasing.

It only proved to remind her that this was an act. There was no father for this child. There was no partner to go through this with her, to enjoy this process and this life, and this family with her.

Sharon was reminded of Andy's words from some weeks before. He said that she didn't belong to him. Well, he didn't belong to them.

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When Andy arrived at Sharon's house later that evening, she was still in her kitchen. He called her as he was leaving the office, to let her know that he was on his way and to ask if there was anything that she needed. The very audible sigh he heard told him that the answer to that question was a resounding _yes_. She had hesitated, he heard it in the silence that followed. Then she had finally asked if he wouldn't mind picking up a bundle of fresh asparagus and a carton of milk. She had forgotten them while at the grocery store only an hour before. _This pregnancy is frying my brain_! He laughed when she said it. He thought it was just undeniably adorable the way that the indomitable Sharon Raydor was forgetting such little things as whether or not she needed milk from the grocery store. Pregnancy brain, he remembered it all too well from having gone through it with his ex-wife more than twenty years ago.

Andy was still grinning about it as he let himself into the house. She told him to come on in when he got there, she would be at the back of the house in the spacious kitchen. In fact, she told him to just come around back and enter through that door. Then she wouldn't have to leave the house unlocked, and he quite agreed with that idea himself. They were both cops, they knew all to well what could happen, and the kind of sickos that were out there, just waiting for that kind of opening.

He reflected, not for the first time, that it was a nice damn house. It would been a shame if she had to sell it. It was located in the older district of Echo Park. They had gotten it years ago, when the property values in that area were low, before people began moving farther away from downtown and the real-estate values in those old neighborhoods skyrocketed. It was worth more than twice now what it had been then.

Sharon had told him one evening, not too long ago, that they'd gotten it as a fixer-upper. There had been a lot of remodeling done to the house after they moved in. A lot of late evenings and weekends spent painting walls and later sanding and refurbishing the hardwood floors. It was the original pine, she told him, and it had taken them years to complete. She said that they'd gone up and down the coast, as far north as Oregon scouting antique stores and finding just all the right pieces. They had been younger then, and Emily had only been a baby.

They had bought the house between having the two kids, and at some point while they were building their home and raising their children, their marriage had fallen apart. Now the old Victorian was exactly as Sharon wanted it, she had finished the remodel after Jack left her the first time. She couldn't imagine parting with it, although she had considered it with Jack gone again and both kids in school. It seemed to be just too much for her alone, but that had changed too. She wasn't going to be alone. She would raise another child in that home, and Andy was determined to make sure she got the opportunity to do it. He wasn't going to let Jack get his hands on her money. There was a part of him that resolved to buy her the damned house if he had to.

It was her house, she had poured herself into it. That much was clear from the way that she spoke about it. With and without Jack Raydor she was happy there, it's where her memories of raising her children were at. He wasn't about to let her lose that. Andy just wished that he knew why he cared so damned much.

Just how pathetic was it? Really? He couldn't get attached to this woman. Not while she was still nursing a broken heart over her husband. The more he resolved to not let it happen, the more it seemed to. He wanted to be a friend to her, but damned if that was getting harder. He couldn't walk away though, and he wouldn't. She needed his help, and he wasn't going to be someone else to disappoint her.

Sharon looked up as he stepped through the back door. He carried two bags from the grocer. She shook her head as he held out the one meant for her. "Thank you." She was still embarrassed by having forgotten both items. She had specifically put milk on the list, because she was out, but the asparagus was needed for the pasta.

"No problem." Andy grinned at her as he pulled the cheesecake out of the other bag. "Dessert. If you're good, I'll share." He paused for a moment and smirked at her. "That's if you don't forget we've got it."

"Funny!" Sharon rolled her eyes at him. She placed the milk in her fridge and took the bundle of asparagus to her sink. "I never knew you were such an amusing guy," she drawled, voice heavy with sarcasm. "We'll see how well you remember things when you're six months pregnant."

"Not so sure that's ever going to be a problem." Andy laughed as he slid the cheesecake into her fridge and then walked over to take a seat on the stool at the center island where she had been working. "Can I help with anything?" As his eyes tracked her movements, he realized she was wearing the denim cut-offs again. He almost wanted to groan at the sight. Didn't she know what that could do to a man? Legs like hers in those shorts, it was a situation that should come with a warning label. She wasn't wearing one of Jack's old shirts this time, either. She had opted for a simple white tank top underneath a lavender cotton blouse. The bottom few buttons were closed, but that only proved to accentuate her figure, and draw his eyes to her chest. Andy felt heat settle deep in his stomach and hoped he could keep a lid on it, lest he embarrass himself. The woman was pregnant, and she was heartbroken. The last thing she needed was him sniffing after her like the dog that he quite obviously was.

"Actually yes." Sharon glanced back at him and smiled. "Can you slice the onions? Do you remember how I had them before?" She nodded to a single red onion that waited on a cutting board on one of the far counters. "It didn't bother me last time, but I got one whiff of it tonight and that was almost it. Actually, it's weird." She turned slightly and leaned her hip against the counter, where she stood washing the asparagus. "Last time I made this, it was the smell of the cooked chicken that made me nauseous. This time, it's the onions, and we'll be lucky if there's any chicken left for the pasta because it didn't bother me at all."

Andy laughed as he stood up to join her at the sink. He leaned past her to wash his hands. "Next thing we know, it'll be the chocolate." His eyes sparkled. "Imagine that, turning green every time you get close to the Chief."

Sharon giggled. "Oh god, she'd never believe it was the hormones." She leaned back out of his way, and when he was done, she returned to washing the asparagus. "How did your case turn out?"

"We got him." Andy moved over to the counter and picked up the knife that had been left out for him. "We sent copies of the reports and everything your way. You'll have it all in the morning." As he worked, he glanced over again. "Hey, did you know that third step down out there is loose?" He nodded toward her back porch.

"Yes." Sharon shrugged. She carried the asparagus back to the center island and began getting it ready to go into the sauce. "We noticed it when Ricky was home last month. He just didn't have time to fix it for me. He'll get it the next time he's here. Or I'll take care of it." She waved a hand through the air. "It's not a problem."

"I'll do it later." Andy cut the onion into short, one inch strips. "I don't want you tripping on it," he told her. "I think it just needs to be nailed back down. I'll go look at it again when I get done here."

"Andy." Sharon sighed. "I don't need you doing home repairs. Hanging shelves in the nursery and putting together a crib was one thing, but I can take care of a little loose step." She smiled warmly at him. "It will be fine."

"Yeah, it will be." He said more slowly. "Because I'm going to fix it when I get done here." He slanted a look at her. "It's a damned step, Sharon. It's not like I'm building you a new garage. It'll take all of five minutes."

"Which is why I am perfectly capable of doing it!" She whirled on him, eyes flashing. "I am not some destitute, pathetic figure that you need to take care of!" As her voice rose, so too did the color of her cheeks. "I get it, okay. Poor pregnant, abandoned Sharon. How pitiful I must be in your eyes. Don't let her turn a screw driver, or miss a meal, or get caught on the wrong end of a dirty look. I'm not a child, Andy Flynn, and I'm not made of porcelain. I can fix a step. It would surprise you the repairs that I have made around this place over the years without a man here to take care of them for me."

He watched her slap the asparagus against the granite counter top and his brows rose. "So then, you don't want me to re-stain the porch while I'm at it?"

She looked away from him and covered her eyes. Sharon snorted quietly. There had been amusement in his gaze. It was not the first hormone-induced temper tantrum of hers that he had been on the receiving end of. She laughed quietly. "Oh god."

"It wouldn't hurt," He continued. Andy's mouth twisted into a crooked grin. "I don't want you to get a splinter."

"Just stop." Sharon picked up a dish towel and threw it at him. She heaved a sigh. She kept her gaze lowered and went back to cutting the asparagus into smaller pieces. Her cheeks were still flushed a bright shade of red. "Fix it if you want to, I don't care."

He snorted. "I will, thanks." Andy finished with the onion and carried it to the sauce pan on the stove. He dumped the slices into it and then washed his hands. Afterward, he moved alongside her. His hand brushed her arm. "You aren't pathetic," he said softly. "I don't think you're pitiful. But I do know that you're pregnant. Maybe I'm just an old chauvinist, but where I come from, a guy doesn't let the pretty pregnant lady nail down a loose step. Or miss a meal, or put together furniture. And if he can help it, he doesn't let her be on the wrong end of a dirty look. Especially when she's his friend."

Her lips pressed tightly together. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and when she looked up at him, her eyes were suspiciously bright. "Pretty?" Sharon's brows lifted.

"Well I'm not going to call you nice after you just yelled at me," Andy drawled. He almost winced at the slip. At least he hadn't called her sexy, he thought. He flipped a lock of dark hair back from her shoulder. He was tempted to tuck it behind her ear, but stopped himself. "I get it. You've done all this before. You can take care of yourself. You don't _have_ to do it all."

She braced her hands against the edge of the island and sighed. "I know." Sharon tilted her head at him and smiled. "I do appreciate it. It's just…"

"Hard." He nodded. "I know. Besides," he nudged her shoulder. "You feed me, I fix things. It seems like a good trade off to me."

"I suppose it is at that." Sharon finally shook her head and waved a hand in the direction of the utility room that was just off the kitchen. "There's a tool kit in the cabinet over the washer. There should be a hammer in it." She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you, Andy."

He was struck again by just how oddly colored her eyes were. Andy forced himself to step away. He wouldn't have a repeat of the previous month's near kiss. That was not the kind of help that she needed from him. He would need to get himself under control, maybe go out later and find someone else to help alleviate those issues. He wasn't what Sharon wanted, and she sure as hell didn't need him.

He kept reminding himself of that as he got to work fixing the loose porch step. It did only need nailing down. Andy took care of that easily enough, and with dinner still in the prep stage, he got busy on the shelves in the nursery.

His shirt and tie were gone, leaving behind only a plain white t-shirt. That was the first thing that Sharon noticed upon entering the nursery later to let him know that dinner was ready. She stopped just inside the door, she watched him, transfixed to the spot as his arms stretched over his head to affix a shelf to the brackets he put in place. The t-shirt was stretched tight across his back. Muscles rippled across his shoulders and back as he worked the shelf into place.

Sharon clutched the the door frame and cursed her body's response to the over abundance of hormones that she was currently dealing with. There was no reason at all that she should be so completely drawn to that sight. Yes, he was an attractive man, she had noticed that before, but it was nothing that she would have ever acted on. For one thing she was married, and for another she had never really imagined they could be each other's type. Not that she hadn't caught him looking before too, especially at her legs. She wasn't oblivious to the way she looked. She knew that men appreciated it. Perhaps not at the moment, but generally speaking.

She didn't believe that she'd be having the response that she was now if it weren't for the fact that she was vulnerable, and hormonal, and quite possibly out of her mind. Her jaw clenched. Her eyes tracked the movement of his arms, the way the muscles there flexed as his hands moved. Good lord, his hands, she thought. Sharon forced herself to look away. Heat pooled at her center and she admonished herself for her thoughts. The guy was trying to be a good friend and she was grateful for that. The last thing he needed was her taking advantage of his kindness because she couldn't keep her hormones under control.

Sharon cleared her throat quietly. "Andy…" Her voice hitched slightly when she spoke, and she hated that. It was one of the few times that she hated how her voice so easily reflected her emotional state. "Dinner." She swept a lock of hair behind her ear and folded her arms over her chest. She looked everywhere but at him, and took the opportunity to study the shelves that were now affixed to her walls. "It looks good."

"Yeah, well," he shrugged. "It wasn't hard." Andy looked over at her and his brows drew together in a frown. "Everything okay?" She was acting kind of weird, and as he studied her, he noticed that her face was flushed.

The question had drawn her attention back to him. The front, she realized, was just as enticing as the back had been. The shirt was stretched across his chest, and still tucked into his trousers. The gun and badge were gone, placed on the dresser in the corner, she realized, along with his shirt. She exhaled slowly and shook her head. "Everything's fine," she told him. "I still need to set the table."

Andy's frown deepened when she turned away. "Sharon." He followed her, his much longer stride quickly closing the distance between them in the hall. "Hey." He chuckled quietly when he caught her arm. He drew her around. "You don't look fine. Listen, if you're not feeling great, I can go, or I can finish up here and you can go lay down."

"I'm okay," she assured him. "Really, just a little too heated from the stove," she lied. Heat tingled along her arm from where he held her wrist. "I do need to set the table if I'm going to feed you," she told him.

She wouldn't look at him, not really. Andy did notice that her bottom lip was already red. He might not know her exceptionally well, but he was learning. He'd picked up on a few of her habits, however. The bottom lip only got abused by her teeth when she was especially bothered by something. "Sharon," he spoke softly. She seemed just a little spooked, and he wondered why. "Whatever it is, you _can _tell me."

Her eyes closed. She was just too keenly aware of him at the moment. The scent of sweat mixed with his cologne, so completely male and just a little heady was having too much of an effect on her. She shouldn't want him. She _couldn__'__t_ want him, and yet she did. Physically at least. She repeated over and over in her head that they were friends. Only friends. Just good friends. It wasn't helping. Of all the ways that her body could betray her, this was quite possibly the most embarrassing.

"No, I really can't." Her own voice was soft. It husked in a way that she wished it wouldn't. "Andy," she tugged at her wrist, still held in his arm. "Please…" If he would just let her go she could put distance between them and hopefully, by the time he got downstairs, she would have control of herself again. She wouldn't have to embarrass either of them, or damage what was proving to be something precious and wonderful for both of them.

Her voice hitched again. There was a faint note of keening in it. Enough that his groin tightened in response. The heat he thought he'd gotten a lid on earlier licked at his belly again. When at last she looked up at him, Andy realized exactly what had sent her running. He knew what had her spooked. There was need in her gaze, and it was arousal that had her chest rising and falling with quick, thin breaths. His jaw clenched. His eyes were drawn to the way the cotton tank stretched across her breasts. She couldn't completely mask her reaction to him. Not with that thin material. His body ached in response. His eyes darkened as they returned to her mouth. Instead of letting go of her, he drew her closer. Andy held fast to her wrist and let his other hand settle at her waist. When she drew her bottom lip between her teeth again his head lowered. This time he gave in to the urge to pull it into his mouth and run his tongue across it.

A low, thick moan rumbled in her throat. Her back arched as his mouth closed over hers. At the first taste of him, Sharon pushed up onto the balls of her bare feet and slid her free hand into his hair. She returned the kiss. When she felt her back press against the wall, her lips parted and her hands moved beneath his t-shirt. His were cupping her hips. He lifted her, hands flat against her bottom and encouraged her to wrap her legs around him. She did. She could feel him hot and hard against the inside of her thigh. If she had imagined that he was only pitying her, that thought was immediately gone.

He stripped the cotton button down off her in the hall and turned. He held her, secure against him with an arm around his waist and the other on her ass as he started back down the hall. Her room was across from where he'd been diligently working on the shelves. The door was cracked, Andy pushed it open with his foot. If he thought better of taking her to bed, he pushed the thought aside. With both her hands in his hair and her tongue in his mouth it was obvious that she wanted him just as badly.

Andy lowered her to the bed and bent over her. He pushed the tank top over her head and let his eyes be drawn to her breasts. They were practically spilling out of her bra. It was simple enough, comfortable, he imagined with the changes that her body was going through. When his hands moved to the front closure, hers covered them. Andy looked up, he found her watching him again. Her eyes were alight, the lighter, golden flecks made it seem as though they were on fire. Her legs were still around him where he knelt between them. He almost groaned when her tongue flicked out to wet her lips. "If you want me to stop," he said, voice thick and rumbling in the silent room. "Sharon…"

She hummed. Her body ached, burned against him. "Just promise me that we'll still be friends…" She needed that more than she needed him, although at the moment, she wanted him so badly she could hardly think of anything else.

"Oh yeah," he husked. "I'm friends with all the girls that put their tongues in my mouth." His eyes tracked the length of her body, she was all long legs and ample curves. He couldn't recall when he'd seen anything quite that sexy. It was… well, it was insane, he knew that. Wanting her was a bad idea. It was all a bad idea, wasn't that what his partner kept saying? Andy bent over her and let his tongue flick playfully at her bottom lip again. "Tell me you won't think I'm an ass," he said. "Or tell me to stop." He shook his head and looked down at her again. His hand slid down to her thigh and he lifted it. Andy pressed against her heat and they both groaned. "Tell me to leave, or tell me it's okay, but shit, don't hate me for wanting you right now."

"No." She was breathless. Her hands tugged at his t-shirt. She pulled it up and over his head. "No, I won't hate you." Sharon reached for him, she curled a hand behind his head and drew him back down. The other she pressed against the mattress beneath them. She pushed off it, rolled her hips against him and let herself enjoy the way her body throbbed in response. "Don't hurt me," she whispered against his mouth. Her tongue traced his top lip and then she drew it into her mouth. She wasn't in love with him, and she didn't kid herself that he felt anything for her. It was sex. They were consenting adults who were quite obviously allowing their bodies to overrule their minds. Surely if they could handle lying to the world about the state of her child's paternity, they could handle that.

He drew back. Andy slid his hands into her hair. He cupped her head between them and studied her face. He knew what she was asking. He could read her just as easily as he always could. "Not gonna happen." He angled his mouth over hers and let his hands move to the front closure of her bra again. As he opened it, his teeth tugged at her bottom lip. "Friends," he promised. Then he lifted his head. His eyes sparkled. "You know, friends don't let friends go to bed horny…"

Sharon snorted and began to laugh. He pressed his face against her neck and she arched it for him. "I take it back. You are an ass." She tugged at his belt, however, and began working his pants open. "Now shut up and—"

Far be it for him to not follow an order. He captured her mouth again and let his hands sweep down her form again. If they could laugh about it, he thought, then they could push forward without making a complete mess of the friendship that they were fostering. It was the last coherent thought he had before her hand slipped into his pants and he stopped thinking altogether.

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"You okay?"

He knew it was about the fourth time that he'd asked her that, but it had been over twenty years since he had sex with a pregnant woman and they had gotten rather energetic with it. He'd never be able to hear her hum again without getting hard at the sound. They had come back downstairs afterward, when both of them could stand again, much less move. She had to make another pot of pasta but the sauce was still good. He was watching her now, as she placed dinner in the center of her table. She wore his t-shirt and not a damned thing else. He was wrong. _That_ was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen.

Sharon chuckled quietly. She pulled her hair over her shoulder as she straightened. She inclined her head at him an smiled. "I'm fine." Sharon turned and leaned back against the edge of the table. "I thought you said you'd done this before," she teased. She arched a brow at him and was not the least ashamed when she let her eyes wonder over his bare chest. He had pulled his pants back on before coming downstairs, but the shirt she claimed for herself. "Andy, I promise. Everything is okay. I dare say, if anything, I'll be up for most of the night waiting for Joey to go back to sleep."

"Really?" He moved around the table to stand in front of her. He lay his hands against her stomach, no longer feeling awkward about touching her. Beneath his palm, he felt the baby kick in response. He wasn't big enough yet for Andy to feel more than the most specific movements, but he did feel the ripple and flutter that followed as the baby stretched and moved. "Hey kid, go to sleep, ma's a little busy at the moment." As though to punctuate that statement, his hands slid down to her hips. The table rattled as he settled her more securely against its edge. Andy pushed between her thighs and pressed his mouth against the side of her neck.

"Andy!" Sharon laughed. Her hands moved to his shoulders to brace herself against him. "I'm hungry," she told him, managing to sound both plaintive and provocative at the same time. She moaned when his tongue danced across her skin.

"Yeah, so am I," he rumbled. His hand moved along the inside of her thigh. His lips curved against her neck when her breath hitched at the first brush of his fingertips against the still too-sensitive skin. Whatever he thought earlier, after having her only once, he wanted her again. Somehow he didn't think he'd get her out of his system anytime soon.

"I meant for food," She groaned. "I do need to feed us." When his fingers traced her sex she whimpered quietly. "_Andy_…" Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. "Okay, alright…" She pushed at his shoulders. "Rein it in stud." She didn't have to be overly firm with him, he went when she pushed. The heat in his eyes had moisture pooling between her thighs again. "Food first," Sharon told him.

He sighed. "You always drive such a hard bargain, lady." Andy moved away from her, but he snagged her wrist and pulled her over and into a chair. He dropped into a chair of his own. He watched her, serving pasta for both of them. She seemed more or less okay. He supposed his question wasn't only limited to the physical. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, physically or emotionally. She'd had enough of that already. "What about this." He gestured between them. "You okay with that?"

Sharon had been afraid he might ask that eventually. "Honestly?" She shrugged. "I don't really know." She sighed quietly. "I feel like I should call my priest and beg forgiveness, but… he never really liked Jack, so I don't think he'll care." Her lips pursed, she smiled at him. "Andy, it's okay. I'm a big girl. We're friends, and we're obviously very attracted to one another. I think we're old enough and mature enough to be able to conduct ourselves accordingly. Well, I am." Her eyes glittered at him. "Most of the time I think you're about as mature as a sixteen year old boy."

His eyes narrowed. "Cute." Andy sniffed and picked up his fork. "Adorable even. Screw you, Sharon." He smirked teasingly.

"Yes, you already did." She fluttered her lashes at him. "See," she pointed out. "I think we're okay, Andy. I expect we'll both feel a little awkward in the days to come, but… it shouldn't be an untenable situation. I think we can only take it a day at a time. Just as we've done everything else."

"Hm." He thought about that as he forked pasta into his mouth. Andy groaned again. "Will you still cook for me?"

Sharon leaned back in her chair and laughed. "Yes," she shook her head and smiled affectionately at him. "I will still cook for you, and if you're especially good and promise to not be a complete smug jerk about it, I might even have sex with you again." It had proven to be a rather enjoyable occasion. Not that she particularly wanted to think of her husband or compare the two men, because she didn't, and knew that it wasn't fair or kind. Still, she couldn't help her mind going in that direction. Sex with Jack just hadn't been quite that energetic, not this last time that he was home. Nor, she reflected, had it been quite that enjoyable. It wasn't only the physical release, that had certainly been present with both men. She wasn't comparing those situations. No, it was the fact that with Andy there had been laughter and teasing. In the simplest sense of the word, it was just _fun_. It was sex. There were no emotional entanglements confusing the situation. As she already told him, they were friends with a certain amount of attraction for one another. There was nothing wrong with that. As long as they knew going into it where they both stood, and they did.

"So if, for example," Andy said, "I wanted to eat cheesecake off your naked body later, would that be considered smug or just creative?"

Sharon balled up her napkin and threw it at him. "Like I said, a sixteen year old boy." She shook her head at him, then she started laughing again. "You are a horrible, horrible man." She was going to be thinking of nothing else all through the remainder of the meal. "Eat your dinner. Or no dessert." When he grinned, rather wolfishly, at her and shoved the fork into his mouth again, she groaned.

Yes, they were going to be okay. If she didn't shoot him first…


	9. Chapter 9

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

"What is that unholy smell?" Sharon wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to know. Whatever it was, it had her stomach rolling in an alarming fashion. She held her breath as she leaned closer to the lieutenant, attempting to peer into the styrofoam bowl that he held.

Her nose wrinkled in a way that he could only define as _cute_. He couldn't tell her that, at least not there. If he did say the words she'd hit him with something. Andy shook his head as he looked down at the top her dark head. He didn't know exactly what she was smelling, at the moment he was riding a wave of lavender that he knew was her shampoo and another, lighter scent that was the very expensive perfume that she wore. He arched a brow at her and his head inclined. He wondered what the penalty would be if he did actually kiss her. They were at work, and that was a no sex zone, as far as Sharon was concerned. She never said anything about _kissing_.

There were rules. That was no big surprise to him. Sleeping together once had led to twice, and that had led to - well, not exactly _sleeping _together. He wasn't spending the night at her place. They'd had sex. More than once, and in varying positions. It was… pretty damned great, actually. Who knew that the two of them could be _that_ compatible and in _that_ way. He was sure enjoying the hell out of himself, and with the way that she kept letting him come back, well it was obvious that Sharon was too.

She wasn't exactly kicking him out of her bed at the end of the night, either. No, that was on him. Andy was trying not to get too attached to her. Although he supposed that the fact he was now sexually involved was a pretty good indication that he _was _attached. He knew that Sharon wasn't ready to begin defining anything that they had in terms of a relationship. She wasn't ready for a relationship at all. What they had was friendship, and sex, and a hell of a lot of fun.

He was seeing an entirely new side of her and that was completely blowing him away.

Andy was mindful of her, though. More so than he had been with any partner in a good, long while. He was beginning to recognize her moods. He knew when she was feeling playful, and he could sense when she was filled with such sadness that his own heart ached with it. He saw her happiness in the way it lit her eyes, and every time he heard her laugh, he wanted to join her. He liked the way that the corners of her eyes crinkled with a smile, or lit with amusement. Her cheeks would flush, and when she was very tickled, she might just snort. _That_ was downright cute.

She was absolutely in love with that baby. Of course she would be. Hell, she had already named him. She hardly ever referred to him as _the baby_. It was always _Joey, _or if he was leaning on her bladder or stretching in a way that was painful, or exceptionally uncomfortable, she had no issue in addressing him as _Joseph_. He was growing steadily. Joey was healthy and well formed for this stage in her pregnancy. Sharon was growing too, and that was beginning to make the sex uncomfortable for her, Andy could tell. She was a little more than seven months pregnant now and looking every bit of it. Joey was going to be built like Ricky, if the estimates from her last ultrasound were any indication. The measurements taken of his little body indicated that he was going to be built in long lines, much like his big brother. In that way he would be taking after Sharon's side of the family, at least as she explained it. Her father and brothers were tall men, not overly large, but built lean. In any event, she was more prone to an aching back and swollen feet these days than she was to wanting to strip him out of his clothes the minute he walked through her door.

Andy had decided he could deal with that. He had spent more than one evening massaging her feet or rubbing her back. The nursery was all but finished now. All that remained were the baby clothes. He knew that Sharon was waiting until closer to the birth to really begin buying those kinds of things. There was a part of her, small but still present, which was terrified at the idea of doing too much, too soon. He knew that she feared she'd be left with packing it all away later. So the crib stood, no bedding, only a mattress. The shelves were unadorned, and the drawers of the changing table and dresser were empty.

The only item that really gave the room any color or character was the rocking chair. Andy had gotten it for her only a week before. It matched the style of the crib and changing table, and was adorned with cushions laid out in a blue and white gingham pattern. Sitting in it at present was a large stuffed bear, complete with ball cap, glove, and Dodgers uniform. He had surprised her with them. She had cried, like a girl. Afterward, he took her to bed and they'd had a lot of fun trying out some different positions. There had been a lot of laughter that night.

He hadn't been in her bed since. That wasn't to say that he hadn't touched her. He had seen her only the day before when he dropped by to return a dish she had sent leftovers to work with him in. Andy had kissed her goodnight. He almost hadn't wanted to go, but she was tired, practically asleep on her feet. So he sent her off to bed and he had gone home alone.

Now that he really thought about it, Andy was a little surprised to see Sharon. She had an appointment scheduled for the morning and he thought she was going to take the rest of the day off. She usually did when she met with her lawyer. It was never a happy occasion. She spent the day recovering so that she wouldn't be too stressed by Jack's stalling and manipulations. She was still taking it easy, more or less, and not pushing herself too hard. Her blood pressure was an ongoing problem. It hadn't spiked again, but it was staying on the high side of normal. He worried about her, but she kept assuring him that she was okay. Andy's brows lifted toward his hairline as he studied her. When she lifted her gaze to him, the questioning look still in her eyes, he dropped his to the bowl in his hand.

"Oh." He shrugged. "It's just some black-eyed peas with bits of ham and green beans, and I think there are onions and jalapeños in it." His lips pursed. He was ignoring the ham. "It's not bad actually. I think the jalapeños are new. I don't think she's ever done that before. You want some?" He held the bowl toward her.

"Oh god no." Sharon took a step back. She waved a hand in front of her, as though to get rid of the smell and almost gagged outright. "Where did that come from? A dump? Oh Andy, I promised to keep feeding you. You don't have to go rooting."

He shrugged again and spooned another bite into his mouth. "Yeah well, you weren't here. What was I supposed to do? Starve?" He smirked at her, dark eyes sparkling. "Chief's mom made it. They dropped in for Easter. I think they're still back in the break room. You should say hi."

Sharon's eyes widened. "Chief Johnson's parents are _here_? _Now_?" She annunciated very carefully, just to make sure that she wasn't misunderstanding him in the least. "You couldn't lead off with that?" She poked his shoulder. "Why didn't you say something before," she hissed. Sharon straightened and swept her hair back.

"What's the big deal?" He shook his head at her. "I thought you liked the Chief's parents? Hell, everyone likes the Chief's parents. It's hard not to. They're good people." He took another bite.

"I'm not saying that they aren't." She rolled her eyes at him. "But they think that we're friends, and we're not. We can barely stand each other, but they think we actually like each other. Then I just feel bad for letting them think that, because they _are_ nice people." Sharon looked up at him. The humor in his gaze made her huff at him. "Do _not_ laugh at me Andy Flynn." She stomped her foot and folded her arms over her chest. "It's not funny."

He couldn't help it. He did laugh. The problem was that she was just so many levels of adorable at the moment. She was having a bit of a small tantrum while standing in the Murder Room, and with her little blue maternity dress and the way she was pouting at him… well, it was adorable. He was glad that the room was deserted, since the others were back in the break room checking out the food situation. "No." Andy grinned at her. "It's not funny. It is cute, though." He leaned over and kissed her before he could stop himself. His lips brushed hers in a kiss that was almost chaste.

Her bottom lip jutted out and her lips turned down into a pout. "I am not cute." Sharon sniffed at him. When he leaned toward her again, she held a hand up before he could kiss her a second time. "Not while you're eating that disgusting crap. You can keep your lips to yourself, Lieutenant." She never imagined, not even if she had a thousand years to do it in, that Andy Flynn would be an affectionate lover. He might just be in it for the sex, or whatever it was that was going on with them right now, but he was considerate and affectionate. He was always touching her, or kissing her. Trying to make her feel better when she was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open, much less reciprocate in kind. She really did adore him for that.

Andy sat down on the edge of his desk with a shrug. He continued to hold the bowl in one hand. "As far as the Chief's parents are concerned, I didn't know you were going to be here. I thought you were seeing the lawyer today?"

There was worry in his eyes when he looked at her. Sharon's face softened into a smile. "I did. It was a financial meeting. I had to disclose my net worth, and we went over some investments and what not." Sharon waved a hand through the air. She didn't want to talk about it, or even really think about it. "She had some questions about the records I sent over. It wasn't too bad." Not bad enough that she wanted to curl in on herself and cry like a baby at the cruelty and greed of a man she once loved.

When she sat on the edge of the desk beside him, Andy put his bowl aside. He lifted his coffee cup and took a drink. With his free hand, he reached over and lay it against her stomach. "How's the kid today? Still doing his dance routine?"

Having his wide palm splayed across her rounded middle wasn't at all unusual anymore. "Hm." Sharon chuckled quietly when the baby kicked. "I think we've moved back to soccer." She lay her hand atop his and leaned into his side, so that their shoulders were touching. "He never sleeps. That doesn't bode well, as I recall." She tilted her head at him and smiled. "Emily. She was this active. She didn't sleep for the first six weeks after she was born. Ricky was the easy one. I couldn't sleep because _he_ was sleeping so well. I'd wake up all through the night just to make sure that he was still breathing. I could put him down at nine or ten, and he'd sleep until seven the following morning. It was absolutely terrifying."

Andy laughed. Even as he stroked her belly to calm Joey, he chuckled at the oddity of being a new parent. "I remember that. It was Nicole for us. All Vicki and I heard the whole time she was pregnant with Nic, was just how horrible those first weeks were going to be. Then we get her home, and all Nicole wanted to do was sleep. Eat and sleep, she was happy. Maybe you'll get lucky. This one will want to sleep too."

"I'm not betting on it." Sharon pushed her hair back over her shoulder. "I thought that if I got back at a decent time, I'd be able to get you to take me to lunch." She pouted at him. "It doesn't look like I got here soon enough to save you from," she waved her hand at the offensively smelling bowl, "_that_."

"Yeah well, beggars can't be choosers." He nudged her shoulder. "If you want to go, I'll still take you. Hey, we can run over to that little place you like on Pacific and get the—"

"Captain Raydor!" Willy Rae's cheerful, high pitched voice rang through the Murder Room. "Lieutenant Flynn said you weren't going to be in the office today and we didn't think we'd get to see you!"

Sharon's eyes had gone wide and just a little panicked. She looked up at him and Andy shrugged. Andy almost laughed again, but thought better of it. Instead, he rose from the edge of his desk and offered Sharon a hand up. She was beginning to enter that phase where she had stopped moving as gracefully as she used to. It was cute… but he definitely wasn't telling _her_ that. "That's my fault, Mrs. Johnson." Andy smiled sheepishly. "I didn't think she'd make it back in time. Looks like her appointment got done early."

"Now Lieutenant." Her hands found their way to her hips. She gave him a long, hard stare. "I have told you a thousand times to call me Willy Rae." She pointed her finger at him and shook it. "I am running out of patience with you, Mister."

"That's a sentiment that I'm well acquainted with," Sharon drawled with a smirk. "He has that affect on a lot of people." She straightened and smoothed her hands down over her dress. It was a simple thing, really, sleeveless for the warming spring air but it fell in soft folds to her knees. She had paired a black sweater with it, rather than a blazer. Those had just become more uncomfortable as her condition progressed. Sharon clasped her hands in front of her and smiled. "It's very nice to see you again, Willy Rae. If I had known that you were visiting, I'd have made a point of being here sooner."

"Oh, we surprised Brenda Leigh. We like to do that, you know. It keeps her on her toes… and _oh my god_, look at you!" She pressed her hands to her mouth as she got her first good look at the Captain. "You're pregnant!"

Sharon didn't think that she could have said it any louder. In fact, she was sure that there might have been some people up on the fifteenth floor that hadn't known about her condition. That probably wasn't the case now. "Yes I am," she replied with a smile, and a half chuckle. She supposed that it was amusing. At least she wasn't being stared at like she was some sort of science fiction experiment gone wrong.

"Oh!" She hurried forward to take the Captain's hands. "How wonderful!" Willy Rae looked up at the Lieutenant. "Isn't that just wonderful?"

"Yeah," He was grinning crookedly. His dark eyes were sparkling. "We think so."

Sharon rolled her eyes toward him. There was mischief in his eyes. It was worrisome. "Be nice," she warned gently.

"What?" Andy held his hands up. "I'm always nice. When am I ever _not _nice?"

"Oh, I don't know," she drawled, "three nights ago. You practically made the pizza delivery boy run away with his tail tucked between his legs. The order being wrong was not his fault."

"That had nothing to do with the order being wrong," he shot back, "and everything to do with the fact that he was staring at your—"

"Andy." Her eyes narrowed.

"Sharon." He stared back at her.

"Oh my word." Willy Rae looked between the two of them. Brenda Leigh had certainly not mentioned _this!_ She turned as the others began to file back into the murder room. When she spied her husband, she waved him over. "Clay! Look who it is! Sharon made it back just in time for lunch. Isn't that just lovely? And would you look at her. Brenda Leigh! You didn't tell us that your friend was expecting! We should have brought a gift, it's rude. Clay, tell her that's very rude."

Clay Johnson looked at his daughter. "It's very rude," he drawled simply. He didn't get as excited about things as his wife did, but he could see that she was practically bouncing where she stood. He walked over to join her, at a much more sedate pace. "Captain, it's very nice to see you again," he said politely. "Congratulations." His eyes narrowed and his head inclined. "Who's the father? This isn't one of those new age lesbian things is it?"

"_Daddy!_" Behind them, Brenda's jaw had dropped. "You can't say things like that to people."

"Oh, I don't see a problem with it." Provenza was grinning widely. He chuckled as he moved to his desk, plate in hand. The Chief's mother had brought lunch for all of them, which consisted of fried chicken, her wonderful southern black-eyed peas, a homemade potato salad that was making him want to cry, and freshly baked rolls. He did very much adore that woman. "I've asked myself that same question, many times."

"Well she's not wearing a ring, Brenda Leigh!" Clay scowled at his daughter. "What's a man supposed to think? I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. I just asked the question. Sharon isn't offended. I seem to remember she's someone who appreciates honesty and forthrightness. Unlike some other people I could name," he mumbled the last under his breath. He turned his attention back to the Captain. "You can tell Brenda Leigh that you're not offended."

"Oh… I…" Sharon didn't know what to say. She was blinking owlishly at them. The Chief's parents were something of a force of nature and now she was caught up in it.

"She doesn't get offended." Andy chuckled beside her. "She gets even." When she glared at him, he sighed. "Now what did I do?"

"You mated with the she-devil." Provenza smirked. "No, Clay, it's not one of those new age lesbian things. That was all Flynn doing what he does best. Being stupid. Those two dunderheads are going to be giving birth to the anti-christ in just about two months. The world as we know it will be ending."

"I thought you were going to talk to him about that?" Sharon turned to Andy. "He's _still_ doing it!" She waved her hand in the other Lieutenant's direction. She didn't particularly appreciate his calling her child the _anti-christ_. No matter what he might think of her, her baby was not to be brought into his shenanigans. Andy had promised to talk to him about it.

"I know." Andy scowled at his partner. "I tried, what am I supposed to do about it? Short of beating the hell out of him, there isn't a lot I can do about the things that come out of his mouth, Sharon." When her lips turned down, not quite into the usual playful pout she used on him, but into a look that was genuinely a bit sad, Andy sighed again. He quickly amended his tone. "I'll try again," he promised.

"That wasn't very nice." Willy Rae decided to do it for him. She sent a disapproving look in Lieutenant Provenza's direction. "It isn't nice to treat our friends that way. Even when we don't really believe them to _be_ our friends. Certainly not when they're about to have a baby. It isn't done, Lieutenant."

Clay was more concerned with the fact that she wasn't wearing a ring. He continued to scowl at the pair in front of them. "But you're not married!" His brows lifted. "Are you? Brenda Leigh, did you forget to tell your mother that your friends had gotten married _and_ were having a baby?"

With his disapproving look directed at her, she quickly shook her head. "Of course not, Daddy!" Brenda hurried over. "They're not married. I'd have told ya'll about that. I didn't say anything about the baby because the Captain is a very private person, and I didn't think it was really my place to say anything. I didn't want to prevent the Lieutenant from giving everyone the happy news himself." She chuckled, a little bit nervously, and cast a look behind her for her husband. When he only shrugged in response, her eyes narrowed. She'd get him for that later.

"You mean to tell me, that they are having a baby, and they're not married?" Clay shook his head. "I just don't understand the way people do things today. A man ought to marry the woman that is having his child."

"Oh." Sharon's eyes widened. She immediately forgot that she was put out with Andy. She lay a hand on his arm and smiled apologetically at him for what was currently being said. "Well that's… I mean, we can't get married. It's just not possible." She spoke quickly. The more she said, she became aware of just how bad it sounded. "I'm already married." Sharon cringed. That didn't sound good at all. "I mean, I'm separated, and it's very complicated." Finally she sighed and sent a desperate look at Andy. "I'm Catholic," she told them.

Andy lay his hand against her back and stroked gently. "Sharon and her husband have been separated for about twenty years," he explained easily. "They haven't divorced because of the whole religious thing. Of course, we never expected all of this," He waved his other hand between them. "So naturally, they're getting divorced _now_, but it isn't all that close to being final yet. We're hoping that it will be before the baby gets here." All of that was true, leaving out of course the insinuation that the two of them had any intention of _ever_ getting married.

"Mmhmm." Clay arched a brow at both of them. He shook his head slowly, but said no more on the matter. It just wasn't right, as far as he was concerned.

"Oh you poor thing." Willy Rae didn't quite have his reservations. She took both of Sharon's hands and held them. "That's just awful. Well, you come right over here with me, and we are going to get you something to eat. Then you are going to tell me _everything_ there is to know. I need to know about the baby's gender, and the nursery, and…"

At the panicked look that Sharon shot at him, Andy took a step forward. "Actually, ma'am," he lay his hands on Sharon's shoulders and drew her back against him. "I just promised Sharon that I'd take her out to lunch. There's this little place over on Pacific, and she's craving their linguine. You know how it is. If she doesn't get what she's craving, there will be no living with her."

"As if there's any living with her now," Provenza muttered.

"Oh." Andy snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot. I got you something too." He pulled Sharon farther from the Chief's parents, and then leaned over his desk. He had planned to give it to her when he saw her later, but now was as good a time as any, he decided. It was all about distracting the Johnsons so that he could help her to evade and flee.

"You got me something?" Sharon turned. She tried not to sound as stupefied as she was. Instead, she blinked at him. "What did you do?"

"There you go, again with the suspicion." Andy straightened up. He held a small, blue, gift bag. He let it dangle from his fingers and wiggled it in front of her face. "If you don't want it, I can give it to some other kid."

"So it's not really for _me_." She drew out the playful pout. "It's for Joey." Sharon reached up and snatched it away from him. "Of course I want it." She pulled open the bag and pushed the tissue paper side. Sharon snorted a laugh. "Andy, seriously!" The look she gave him was both affectionate and indulgent. "We are _not_ going with a baseball motif in the nursery." She shook her head at him as she drew out the tiny blue and white Dodgers baseball onesie.

"Why not!" He rolled his eyes at her. "Come on, Sharon! It's perfect!" Andy took the onesie out of her hand and held it up in front of her stomach. "I bet Joey likes it. I bet he's even going to love baseball. Honestly, you'd just be doing the kid a favor and setting him up with something he loves. What's wrong with that?"

"I just don't get it." Sergeant Gabriel stood alongside Agent Howard. "How does something like that happen?" His face was screwed up in a look that could only be described as a mixture of horror and disgust. "That is just so many levels of wrong and just…_wrong_."

"I don't know." Fritz pushed his hands into his pockets. He was smiling as he watched them. They were arguing now over how the nursery was going to be decorated. They were also inching farther way from Brenda's parents and closer to the exit. He recognized evasive maneuvers when he saw them. "Love does crazy things to people," he said. "You can't predict what's going to happen. Or who it's going to happen with. Those two, there was always something there. I don't think anyone can say they didn't see it. They may not have liked each other, but they were never indifferent. They're both passionate people by nature, Sergeant. Something like this was probably bound to happen eventually."

David stared at him as though he'd grown a second head. "Passionate people?" His eyes widened. "You think that Captain _Raydor_ is a passionate person?" He shook his head slowly. "That's just… odd."

"Why not?" Fritz inclined his head at the younger man. "What would you call her steadfast adherence to the rules that she believes in, in spite of the mistrust, dislike, and downright rudeness of her colleagues, peers, and friends? Doing what's right, sometimes that means having a very passionate belief in what's right, because it doesn't always mean that you are going to be liked or appreciated." He shrugged. "Say what you will, and you don't have to like her, but I for one have always found that to be very admirable." He pushed away from where they stood near the wall and walked over to join his wife and her parents.

"You know, Brenda," Fritz spoke quietly against her ear. "You should let the Lieutenant take the Captain to lunch." He could see that Raydor was uncomfortable with her parents. From what Brenda had told him, and the stirrings he heard while he was around the Murder Room, the whole situation was high risk and high stress. As much as he might like Brenda's parents, they were a force unto themselves, and he couldn't imagine that Raydor was all that used to the kind of attention that she was getting at present. "They're not going to have a lot of time together once that baby gets here. They should spend as much of it together as they can now." He gave her a pointed look.

"Right." Brenda turned. "Lieutenant, go ahead. Ya'll get out of here." She took a step forward practically shooing them away. "Take as much time as you need, we can certainly manage without you. Momma, we can spend time with the Cap—er Sharon later," she crooned, not wanting her mother to feel left out, but wanting to get rid of Flynn and the Captain at the same time. "Fritzy is right! When that baby boy gets here, they aren't going to have even a minute to themselves, so we should really just let them go while they can."

"Oh, I suppose so." Willy Rae sighed. At least she'd found out that it was a boy. She could do something about that lack of gift now. She'd just have to pick something up and arrange to see the Captain again later, before they left. Her lips pursed while she thought it over. She wondered if her daughter had thought to plan a baby shower for the other woman. Likely as not. Well, she'd just have to take care of that too. "Yes, yes, ya'll go on and have fun," she said. "We'll talk again real soon."

"They should stop and buy a ring while they're out," Clay grumbled.

"Now daddy! You heard the Captain," Brenda said, her voice carried through the air, following them as they made good their escape. "She's already married…"

MCMCMCMCMCMC

He was going to be a dead man. That was the one thought which remained with Andy Flynn during the days which followed the arrival of the Johnsons. The Chief's mother had gotten it into her head that Sharon needed to have a baby shower. There was no talking her out of it. They had tried. _All _of them had tried, but the woman wouldn't listen to reason. He tried explaining to her that Sharon just didn't do things like that, that she preferred to be in control of every situation, especially as it pertained to her children. Willy Rae wasn't listening.

She had specific ideas about things, and how they should be done. A woman deserved to have a baby shower, and she didn't care who that woman was, she wanted one. Andy didn't really fold on it until she looked right at him and told him that a woman wanted to celebrate having a baby with the people that she was close to. He knew when he was beat, and that had done him in.

She was right. Sharon needed to celebrate having this baby, and with more than just him. The thing was, he didn't really know her friends. They didn't exactly run in the same circles. Willy Rae decided that didn't matter. She had them. They were her friends. Besides which, it was his baby too, and a shower could be for the father as much as for the mother.

Andy had groaned at that. He and the Chief had exchanged a look. Oh if she only knew. Andy had a pretty good idea that the Chief had seen right through that particular lie, but neither of them had ever talked about it.

The more he thought about it, though, the more Andy realized that while the Chief's mom might be content enough to plan a baby shower which included her _friends_ from Major Crimes, it was important for Sharon to be able to be happy about her baby with someone who actually meant something to her. She was going to kill him for what he'd done, but he was going to stand beside the choice.

Andy had gone snooping through Sharon's phone when she wasn't looking and had gotten his hands on Emily Raydor's number. He called her daughter, and although it was the most uncomfortable conversation of his life, he explained to her what they were doing and that he thought maybe she should be there.

She laughed at him. Sharon's daughter had laughed at him. Practically guffawed after his stuttering explanation, and then she snorted. Just like her mother. When she was finally able to speak again, she agreed to be there. Then she started asking him questions. More about him than her mother, and this strange situation they were in.

Afterward she said something that got his mind to going down a different road. _I__'__m glad she has you to take care of her_. He supposed that's what he was doing. He did look out for her, but they were friends. Just friends and nothing more. Well, okay, so there was more to it than that when the sex got factored into the situation, but it wasn't like they were a couple. They weren't like that.

It didn't matter anyway. Sharon was going to kill him.

Emily was more than happy to go along with the idea, alright. He was beginning to think she was more like her mother than he originally thought. She was working on a Masters degree at Northwestern, but had spent a year dancing in France. It didn't seem to matter that she was going to kill him for getting her daughter involved in all this, Andy was glad to have her on board. They were close, he knew, and the way Sharon talked about Emily… he knew she missed her, even if she was proud as hell of her.

Her baby girl had gone to Northwestern, her own school, and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Art History. Then she had gone to Europe for a year. Andy was confused by that, he thought she spent the previous summer in Europe, but then Sharon explained that the summer trip was just a vacation to reconnect with friends she made there a couple of years before. Emily had actually spent a year dancing at a ballet school in France as part of an exchange program. When she came home, Sharon expected her to move to New York, but instead she returned to school to finish her Masters Degree.

Her daughter wanted to dance more than anything, and that was a dream that she was willing to encourage her at. Emily knew she couldn't dance forever, though, and being the responsible young woman that her mother raised, she was going to stack her educational odds in her own favor while she could. Then when her dancing career was over, she would pursue another dream, find other goals.

Yeah, after talking to her, Andy could understand why Sharon was proud as hell of that girl. She was smart and funny, driven, but realistic. She reminded him of Sharon, but there was enough of her father in her to make her a big dreamer, enough of Jack that she would leap, but the part of her that was Sharon tempered that. Andy found himself hoping she would make it. These dreams she had for dancing professionally in New York.

Emily Raydor had arrived on a morning flight and he had delivered her into the hands of Brenda Leigh and Willy Rae almost immediately upon arrival. The daughter was almost taking over the whole baby shower idea. She told them they were doing it at her mother's house. The Chief and her mother had been perfectly content to do it in the Major Crimes break room, but Emily wasn't having any part of that. No, she told them that her mother would be far more comfortable with the idea if she was in her own home. She would feel like she had some control then. Besides, the house was big and comfortable, and what better place for her mother to be able to celebrate the arrival of her baby than in her own home?

Andy had a feeling that she was right. Sharon was still going to kill him. She did not like surprises.

As far as he was aware, everything back at Sharon's house was in full swing. He just had to get her there. Which would be simple enough. That kid, the one that worked for her, Elliot was responsible for keeping her occupied during the morning. Andy had threatened the little punk to within an inch of his life that if Sharon so much as got wind that there was a baby surprise waiting for her back at her house that the whole of Major Crimes, including one Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, would make his life a living hell.

Andy was supposed to pick Sharon up for lunch and instead of taking her to any of the restaurants they both liked, he'd be taking her home. To the surprise. Where he was going to die.

There was only one problem with all of their planning. The timing. They hadn't realized that their timing could be complete shit. Or rather, that Jack Raydor's timing would be absolute shit. Instead of picking Sharon up, as he had planned to, she was standing in the middle of his living room. Try though he knew that she had, she couldn't stop the tears. She was crying. Because Jack Raydor was a complete and utter prick. Andy had a feeling that before everything was said and done, he was going to end up killing that son of a bitch.

She was trembling against him. His arms were curled around her, a hand stroking her back and the other in her hair. His cheek was laying atop her head as he held her. Between them he could feel Joey, steadily moving, kicking and stretching in response to his mother's distress. Andy turned his face into her hair and pressed his lips against her head. "Sweetheart, it's okay." They didn't use pet names, but that one rolled off his tongue before he could stop it. Andy decided to ignore that, file it away for later.

Her face was tucked against his chest. Her hands were curled in his shirt. "Why does he hate me," she asked. "There was a time when we were happy. I don't know what I did to—"

"You didn't do anything." Andy let his hands move to her shoulders. He pushed her back so that he could see her face. "He's an ass. He's a selfish bastard and if he were thinking of you or the kids at all then he wouldn't be doing any of this." His hands moved into her hair. He swept the tears away from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

"It's bad enough that he's hell bent on hurting me," she said. "Now he's pulling the kids into it, and my god, Andy…" Jack had called her. He was furious. Emily wasn't returning or taking his calls, and Ricky had told him to go to hell. He needed them, he said, to act like the dutiful children that they were supposed to be. Apparently, his new girlfriend had some kind of influence and was throwing a party. A party that she expected her lover's children to be present and accounted for. Neither of her children wanted a damned thing to do with their father right at the moment, despite all of her efforts to the contrary in past years. "He actually accused me of turning them against him…"

"He's a delusional selfish bastard," Andy said, amending his previous statement. "Listen Sharon." He tipped her head back and smiled down at her. "You haven't done anything wrong. Your kids love you, and they're smart enough to know what's going on around them. You did the best you can, and if they've got issues with Jack, than that's between them and him. They're adults now. They can make their own decisions and choices where he is concerned, and it sounds to me like they are." He leaned down and brushed a light kiss across her downturned mouth. Then he kissed the tip of her nose. "I know it hurts, but you can't let him get you upset like this. You gotta think about this little guy." He lowered a hand and let it rest against the side of her stomach. "I know you loved him, Sharon, but he's not worth any more of your tears."

Moisture filled her eyes again. "Where did you come from?" Who was this man, and how had she never known before that he could be so… like this. He could be affectionate and gentle, or goofy and irritating, but whatever it was, he always managed to make her feel a little better. A little less like her heart was about to break in two. Sharon shook her head and lowered it so that her forehead was resting against his chest. She sighed quietly. "I know that you're right. I just wish that if he wasn't going to be the man that I know he can be, he'd just let me go. He's moving on. Why won't he just let me do the same?" He was still dragging out the divorce. Whoever this new influential girlfriend was, she wasn't important enough to Jack to halt his attempts at getting half of everything Sharon had.

A frown drew his brows together. He dropped his chin against his chest, so that it touched the top of her head. His hands were stroking her upper arms. He considered her words. He was beginning to realize that when they spoke in terms of Jack now, they both mentioned that she had once _loved_ him, not that she still loved him. It was past tense. Andy felt his heart flutter and wondered at the meaning of that and the way his stomach seemed to drop and twist with anxiety. "Is that something you want to do," he asked quietly, carefully. "Moving on, I mean. Is that something you're interested in?"

There was a hesitation in his tone that had her head lifting. Sharon's brows lifted. He didn't seem or look quite as sure of himself as he normally did. Her head tilted while she studied him. Then, beneath her gaze, she saw him fidget. Sharon drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "I don't know," she said softly, a breathless quality in her tone as his sudden anxiety provoked the same feeling in her. "Is that… are you…." Sharon shook her head. "Is this starting to get uncomfortable for you Andy?" She realized that she had come to rely on him, and the thought of not having that suddenly terrified her. She would manage on her own, but the entire situation had become so much more tenable with Andy beside her. "I told you that if this got in the way of things, you only had to say the word. Andy, if you need to step back—"

"No." He cupped her face in his hands. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm still here, for as long as you need me to be. That's not what I meant." He drew a breath and let it out slowly. "I guess, Sharon, what I was asking is if this is getting to be too much for _you_. I mean, we've had a hell of a lot of fun, and I won't mind at all if that keeps going, but if you need it to end… If you need us to just be like we were before, without all of the extra…. you know, if you need me to take a step back and just be the idiot friend who is pretending to be your baby's father, I can do that."

"Hm." Her hands curled around his wrists. A smile curved her lips. She didn't understand why he suddenly meant so much to her. Her heart still ached, keenly, at the thought of Jack and the divorce. But Andy made her laugh. He brought a smile to her face and filled her with warmth and happiness. "I don't want you to go anywhere," she told him, and knew that she meant it. "But I'll understand if you do. I'm not exactly the hottest girlfriend on the planet right now, and just the thought of having sex is making my back hurt. We promised we'd be friends, and we are. I need that, Andy. More than anything, I just need for you to be my friend, but the other… the rest… it's been great, hasn't it? I wouldn't mind if that kept happening, maybe when we both think that I'm more attractive, but you don't owe me anything, Andy. You're more than free to live your life."

"I am." She rambled when she was nervous. It was a trait they shared. Andy kissed her again. It was just a quick, light kiss. His thumb swept across her bottom lip and he smiled at her. "I don't want to be anywhere else. You know, I'm not a guy that needs to get laid to have a good time. You're right, we're having a good time. It's been fun, and the sex has been pretty damned hot. If you feel like it, then you feel like it. If you don't, then I know how to amuse myself, Sharon. I'm a grown man." He grinned crookedly at her. "That doesn't mean I need to find anyone else to amuse me." His dark eyes sparkled teasingly. "And since you just called yourself my girlfriend, and there are no take backs allowed, I think I would be the crappiest boyfriend on the planet if I started sleeping around because my pregnant girlfriend didn't feel up to fooling around."

She chewed on her bottom lip again. "So this…" She gestured between them. "We're not… I mean, it's not like either of us are—"

"We're friends." Andy shrugged. She was cute when she was unsure of herself. He reminded himself that she wasn't ready for anything more intense than what they currently had. He really didn't know that he was either. He cared about her. That needed to be enough. He would keep it at that. "If occasionally we feel like falling into bed, then we've got each other for that too. It doesn't have to be more than that. We can just say that we like being together and leave it at that."

"I think that I can handle that." Sharon sighed, feeling incredibly relieved. As long as they were still on the same page, then everything was good. It seemed that they were. "I'm sorry that I'm such a mess, and you're in the middle of all this. But I'm glad that you are."

"Hey, it's not a big deal." He winked at her. "My best friend has a crap husband. Since she won't let me beat the shit out of him, what else am I going to do?"

Her lips pressed together. Sharon's eyes sparkled happily. "I'm your best friend?"

"Well," He shrugged. Andy looked down and grinned a little sheepishly. He shifted, uncomfortable about that slip. "Yeah, I mean… Shit, Sharon. You let me watch the ball game on your sofa and then you give me blow jobs to cheer me up when my team loses. Best damned friend I ever had."

She snorted as she laughed. Sharon shoved him away from her. "My god you're an ass!"

That was probably true. More true than she knew. Andy just grinned as he watched her. With her head thrown back and her cheeks flushing, she was probably more beautiful than any other woman he'd laid eyes on. "Yeah, but you like me anyway."

"I don't know why." She rolled her eyes at him. Sharon folded her arms over her chest. She drew a breath and let it out slowly. Then she tilted her head and smiled affectionately at him. He was such a goofball. He always knew how to make her laugh. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. "Thank you… for putting up with all my crazy."

"I like your crazy." He pulled her to him again. "Come on." He lay his hands against her stomach. "Let's go feed you two. If you starve him, Joey is going to keep you up all night." The baby shower was probably a bad idea today, but it was already planned and waiting. If nothing else, Andy thought that having Emily in town might help cheer her up even more.

"He's going to do that anyway," Sharon huffed. "As soon as he gets here, this little one and I are going to have a very long talk about getting his days and nights on track." She poked the top of her belly, lightly.

When Joey kicked in response, Andy laughed. "I don't think he believes you're serious." He dropped a kiss against her forehead. "It's okay, I'll talk to him. He's gonna have to find out early that you're not someone he needs to screw with."

She laughed. "Well, you would know." Sharon stepped back from him. "Yes, please, I'm starving. I just want to forget that Jack ever called. I'm not even going to talk to the kids about it. If they've decided to have nothing to do with him, then you are completely right. It's not my place to get involved, nor should I. They are adults, they can manage their relationships with their father. I have to look out for Joey, and myself."

"Good girl." He watched her eyes flash and knew he'd pay for that later. "Let's go, you can fix your makeup in the car." Andy took her arm and turned her. They were already going to be a little late. He supposed that would be okay. It gave the others a few extra minutes to finish putting everything in place.

It might even be possible that he wasn't going to die after all. Sharon might decide she liked him so much at the moment that she wouldn't kill him for this. Andy would blame the Chief. No matter what, he figured that would get him out of trouble with his girlfriend.

Andy grinned at that thought.

_Girlfriend_.

So much for not getting attached.

MCMCMCMCMCMC

There were people in her house. That was the first thing that Sharon noticed upon entering. All of her protestations of why she and Andy needed to stop by there on their way to lunch died upon realizing that the living room was filled with individuals. There were also balloons. A single brow rose as she took in the scene. A table had been set up on one side of the room and was covered with a pale blue table cloth. There were cups and plates at one end, a punch bowl at its center, and a cake. There were blue and silver balloons floating in the room, affixed to the banister and bookshelves. Her coffee table and the area immediately surrounding it were covered in gifts.

"Andy." If her voice had dropped an octave, she decided that he'd earned the warning. "Why are there people in my home?" More specifically, why where there members of Major Crimes loitering in her living room and why where they smiling at her. Actually, she chose to amend that, some of them were smiling. Lieutenant Provenza was not. He was looking amused, but mostly aggrieved at having to be there. As her gaze swept the group, she realized that it was all of them, and an asian woman that she decided must be Lieutenant Tao's wife. When her eyes landed on the brightly smiling Willy Rae Johnson, Sharon knew that she had identified the culprit. She took a step back and bumped into Andy.

His hands landed on her shoulders. "Uh…" He was ready to die, he thought. His will was in order and he'd talked to Nicole just the night before. It was okay if he went now. Well no, it really wasn't, but he would consider it going down in the line of duty. "Surprise?" He looked down at her. "It's a baby shower Sharon."

"Yes," she said carefully. "I can see that. Why is it happening _here_?"

Andy's lips pursed. His hands gently massaged her shoulders. "The Chief made me do it."

Brenda scowled at him. Oh! She was going to get him for that. "Captain Raydor, you didn't really think that we were going to let you get away without having some kind of party to… to… celebrate the uh…" She waved her hand at the baby bump. "That."

"Oh yes, that was eloquent." Fritz rolled his eyes where he stood beside her and chuckled quietly. She had made him come with her to this thing. By Brenda's way of thinking, if she had to be there, so too did he. He had to admit, there was part of him that wanted to see how this was all going to turn out. It should prove to be pretty amusing, he thought.

"Sharon, when I spoke to the Lieutenant and all your friends, not a single one of them could tell me when or if you were having a baby shower," Willy Rae began. "Well, that just isn't going to do. So here we are!" She clapped her hands together and smiled widely. "Who better to throw you a shower than the people who know you and the Lieutenant best. I mean, you're having a baby together, all your friends want to be here to celebrate that with you."

"Uh…" Sharon would have backed further away, except that Andy was solid and warm behind her. There was just one problem with the reasoning behind the shower. She and Andy weren't having a baby _together_. She was having a baby and he was doing her a favor to help save her from a financially disastrous divorce. She blinked rapidly. Then she turned and looked helplessly up at Andy. She never intended for this to interfere with everyone else the way that it obviously was. His friends thought this baby was really his, and it couldn't be further from the truth. What would that mean for him when it was revealed to all be a lie? "_Andy_."

"The party isn't the only surprise." He grinned down at her. Andy knew where her mind had gone. He understood it, but it didn't really bother him. He found that as long as she was happy, he could deal with a little discomfort from his people later. He took her shoulders and slowly turned her again. "We got you something special."

"More like someone." Willy Rae beamed. "I can't take credit for that. It was all the Lieutenant's doing."

"Mom." Emily Raydor moved through the crowd of people that were strangers to her, but obviously not to her mother. She had found the whole thing to be rather amusing, but in seeing just how serious they were about this party idea, she had gotten behind it quickly. She hadn't seen her mother since Christmas, and the opportunity to come home, for any reason, was good in her book. "Surprise."

"Emily." Sharon completely forgot the others that were present. She held her arms out and when her daughter walked into them, she sighed in abject contentment. Her daughter had not been able to come home for spring break. She was too heavily involved in her final project. Ricky hadn't come home either, he and some friends had gone off together for the vacation. She couldn't really be upset with her children. They were living their lives, it was exactly what she wanted for them. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered against her daughter's ear. When Sharon drew back, she held Emily away from her. "Let me see you."

"Me?" Emily's eyes lit up. Their brown depths sparkled teasingly. "Let me see _you_." She took hold of her mother's arms and lifted them. "Wow, it's really happening huh? There was hardly anything there at all at Christmas. Ricky was sure you were having us on, that's obviously not the case. I'll have to take a picture and send it to him."

"You will _not_." Sharon glared at her daughter, albeit without any real heat. "There will be no pictures, Emily Marie. I mean that." She reached up and touched her daughter's much shorter hair. At Christmas it had still been long. Now it was cut in a stylishly short bob and there were lighter highlights. She looked so much older, and so very grown up. Her baby girl, a woman now of twenty-five.

"Don't start crying now," Emily smirked at her. "There really will be pictures. I have it on pretty good authority that the grumpy old guy has a camera and he is not afraid to use it." She cackled. "I think I like him."

"Oh god." Sharon tossed a panicked look at Andy. "She's bonding with your partner. Make it stop."

"Absolutely." Andy shuddered. "Talk about heralding the apocalypse."

"At least I'm not giving birth to the spawn of the devil," Provenza snarked. He pointed a finger at them. "I'm not the one who mated with the She-Creature from the Dark."

"Lieutenant." Willy Rae cast a warning look at him. She had already instructed him to be on his best behavior.

"No, Lieutenant," Sharon sighed. "You would only be so lucky. This jealousy doesn't become you, I mean really. I told you that I wasn't interested. Get over it."

When he sputtered, Andy laughed. Perhaps getting Emily there was not such a bad idea after all. He was glad now that he had done it. He knew Sharon wouldn't be exactly comfortable with all of these people in her home, but she was at least settling into it with her daughter there. "Yeah," he drawled. "Get your own girl, old man. Leave mine alone."

When her mother didn't even bat an eye at being called _his girl_, Emily's brows shot into her hairline. She also seemed to not have any problem with being touched by this guy. Her mother had explained to her and Ricky about the whole show they were putting on, her friend Andy pretending to be the baby's father because of how her dad was acting. She hadn't really understood the reason behind that at first, not until she realized what a complete _ass_ her dad was turning out to be about this whole divorce thing. Then she was just happy that her mother had someone to help her out. Now she was beginning to wonder if they truly were just _friends_ after all.

"So," Emily said, and drew her mother further into the room. "I really hope you don't mind. When I heard about this, I thought it was a perfect idea. I know you like to do all these things for yourself, mom, but come on… Since when does a girl get to go crazy and get her shopping fun on for her baby brother." She maneuvered her mother to the sofa and had her sit. "Ricky would have come too," she explained, "But he's got an exam on Monday and a paper due, so he really couldn't get away. He sends lots of love, though and promises he'll get back down here soon."

"I understand," she said thickly. She knew that Ricky would be there if he could be. It was more than enough, and just perfect having her daughter there. "He'll be home this summer. He should concentrate on school." Her gaze swept the room, from the decorations to the carefully stacked gifts. "You were all involved in this?"

"You just don't say no to Willy Rae," Fritz explained with a small smile. "We were going to do it at the office, but Andy and your daughter thought you might be more comfortable here."

"Oh, it's just a party," Brenda waved it off. "It's not that big a deal. Someone, start handing out the punch. The Captain needs a drink," and so do I, she thought.

"I'll get it." Buzz moved through the room to begin serving punch for everyone.

"It isn't every day that our coworkers decide to reproduce," Lieutenant Tao stated. He smirked at Andy. At their age, it just didn't happen. They would have expected to throw this kind of party for Julio or Buzz. Not for one of the senior members of the team. "Captain, this is my wife, Cathy. We won't be able to stay long, but we both wanted to wish the two of you the very best…"

Always so polite and well spoken, even when she suspected he barely tolerated her. Sharon smiled brightly. "Thank you, Lieutenant, Mrs. Tao…"

"Cathy please," She held out a hand. "Congratulations." Sensing the woman's discomfiture, she turned her attention to Andy. "I hope you're behaving yourself now." Her husband had worked with him long enough that she'd heard all the stories.

"Trying to." Andy shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "She has a lot of rules."

"You don't say." Provenza snorted. "Imagine that," he nudged Julio beside him. "Captain Rulebook has a lot of rules."

Julio shrugged at him. "They're not that bad," he said simply. "Ma'am," he addressed the Captain. "If the Lieutenant starts giving you any problems, you can let me know." He grinned wickedly in Flynn's direction. "I'll be glad to help."

"Eeh gads." Provenza rolled his eyes. "She's put her wicked spell on another one." He turned and walked away, heading toward the buffet table at the side of the room.

"You stay the hell away from her." Andy pointed a finger at Sanchez. He scowled playfully at the other man.

That had Sharon rolling her eyes. "Andy." She cast a warning look at him. "Behave."

He sighed. His shoulders slumped. "Yes dear." The others laughed, and while it was at his expense, it was worth it to see her smiling. Especially after what Jack had done to her just an hour before. "Hey, how about we stop playing pick on the poor pop, and start opening the damned presents?"

"That is an excellent idea." Willy Rae walked around and took a seat on one end of the sofa. She waved Brenda into the chair nearby. "Now, Brenda is going to write everything down for the thank you cards, and you are to sit back and enjoy yourself. Emily, you know what to do."

"Yes ma'am." Sharon's daughter smiled brightly as she moved to her knees between her mother and the coffee table. It was her job to hand over the gifts, one by one. "Where's the camera guy?"

"No, no pictures…" Sharon shook her head. "Emily, honey, I'm as big as the side of this house. I look horrible."

"Deal with it mom, there are going to be pictures." Emily grinned at her, "Plus, you look terrific. You always do." In the pale, lavender dress, her mother looked chic and healthily pregnant.

"Shut up and take the pictures, Sharon." Andy leaned over the back of the couch and kissed the top of her head. "You're gorgeous."

"Don't worry, Captain." Buzz passed the drinks off to Julio to hand out. "I'm manning the camera. They'll all be brilliant, I promise."

Sharon sighed. "I suppose." She pouted up at Andy. "I'm going to get you for this."

"Yes," he smirked at her. "And my little dog too. I'm looking forward to it. Now be nice and play with the other kiddies." He walked around to lean against the sofa arm so that he could keep an eye on her and the goings on, but be removed enough from it that the women could have their fun.

Andy grinned as they started opening the presents. In between, the finger foods that the Chief's mom had made were passed around. He kept a close eye on Sharon. When she did finally relax, so too did he. Soon enough she was swept into the moment and he could see, although she tried hard to suppress it, that she was deeply, deeply touched by the gesture.

The party didn't take an uncomfortable turn until the final gift was opened. Every member of the team had gotten her something, and Provenza's had been saved for last. Andy had done that, mainly because he didn't know if he could trust his partner. Also because if the team got called out on a murder, then he and Sharon would both be saved the embarrassment of having to be sentimental. He didn't like her, but he was still Andy's partner. Andy knew that he was pulling for the kid. Despite all of his grousing and grumbling, all of the snarking and fun making, he didn't like what Jack had done to her any better than any of the rest of them did. He might have been divorced several times, but Provenza knew that there were some things you just didn't do to the mother of your children. You didn't disrespect a woman period, but certainly not the woman who had given birth to your children.

Andy watched as the last gift, a narrow flat box was laid across Sharon's lap. It was beautifully wrapped, but he figured Provenza had gotten the sales girl to do that. When she lifted the lid off and pushed the tissue paper back, he chuckled. Inside was a perfect replica of a Dodgers team jersey, sized for an infant. "That's actually pretty great." He was surprised. He didn't think his partner would have gotten _that_ involved in the gift picking out. Andy moved off the arm of the couch and over to sit closer to Sharon.

"Of course it is." Provenza rolled his eyes at them. "You didn't think I was going to let any kid of yours go around wearing inappropriate team attire did you?" He snorted. "Definitely not."

"Hm." Sharon lifted the jersey out of the box, but when she turned it over, she drew a sharp breath. On the back, above the two double digit zeros that made up the team number, a name had been carefully embroidered. _Flynn_. Her fingers, shaking and a little numb, reached up to trace the letters. She felt her heart drop. Such a beautiful gift, and yet, it was all a lie.

Andy watched her pale. He reached over and wrapped a hand around her arm while he leaned in. His lips brushed her cheek, and then her ear. "It's okay," he whispered, much too softly for anyone else to hear. When she looked up at him, eyes bright, Andy dropped a kiss to her lips. "I think it's perfect," he said, loud enough for the others.

Emily's head inclined. Oh, they needed to definitely have a talk about this. So there was touching _and _kissing involved. She was starting to think that she needed a few friends like that. At the moment, the people surrounding them were confused by her mother's reaction. "Don't worry. Dad can't drag the divorce on forever, Mom," she said, helping her to save face.

"I still vote for locking him up," Sanchez stated. "I can think of some charges. We can hold him for seventy-two hours without having to prove they're real."

Sharon chuckled quietly. She drew a breath and plastered a smile on her face. "Tempting though that is, Detective. I think we'd best not. I doubt very much that Jack would have an issue filing suit against the city for wrongful detainment. He worked in the city attorney's office for a while, after he first passed the bar. I'm sure he has a few ideas on how to make it stick." She shook her head. "It is lovely," she told the older Lieutenant. "Thank you. I know that Andy is going to really enjoy this."

"Yeah, it's just a shirt." Provenza rolled his eyes, although he was secretly pleased that they liked it. "Doesn't mean I like you."

"I should certainly hope not!" Sharon laughed.

"That would be the real apocalypse," David Gabriel muttered.

Well after the others had gone, Emily helped her mother carry the gifts upstairs to the nursery. Andy had remained downstairs, and was doing away with the balloons and streamers, and wrapping paper. Much of the rest had been cleaned away by the Johnsons before they'd taken their own leave.

"You're sleeping with him." Emily had learned, long ago, that the best approach with her mother was always the most direct.

"I'm not discussing that with you." Sharon didn't deny it, but she wasn't going to talk about it either. She folded the little onesies that the Chief's mother had brought for the baby and placed them in a drawer.

"Mom, it's so obvious." Emily rolled her eyes as she lifted the beautiful, cashmere blanket and folded it before laying it over the side of the crib. "Does he make you happy?"

"Emily." Sharon sighed. She turned away from the dresser and fixed her daughter with a look. "We're friends. Yes, he makes me happy, because he's been a very good _friend_."

"I wish I had some friends like that." Emily folded her arms across her chest. "I like him," she said. "If that matters at all. I don't know him, but I don't have to. He called me out of the blue and told me to get my butt to LA for today. I'm just worried. You and dad have all this stuff going on."

"Which is precisely why we are friends." Sharon smiled gently at her. "I appreciate it, Em. I really do. But my personal relationships aren't for you to worry about. Let me handle all of this. You worry about school."

"I'm always going to worry about you momma." She walked over and leaned into her mother's side. "Especially right now. You can't stop me from worrying. I'm scared for you. This is all such a big deal. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm not going to." Sharon cupped her daughter's face. "I have to believe that everything is going to work out, honey. When you and your brother get home this summer, there will be a baby brother to spoil, and the rest will work itself out. That's my end game. Until then, I'm only taking it a day at a time. As for Andy, he is a _friend_. My best friend these days. So don't worry about that either." A smile tugged at her lips. "But I'm glad that you like him. I like him too."

"Like?" Emily's brows lifted quizzically.

Sharon's gaze drifted a bit. "Like," she said with a smile. "He's been very good to me, Em, and he's very important to me. But I'm not ready for more than that, he knows how I felt about your father, and that I still need some time. He understands. Okay?"

Emily wasn't convinced. She thought perhaps her mother was being a bit naive about it. Rather than push her too far, she decided to let it go. "Okay," she said. Perhaps this summer she would find that things had progressed. They could talk about it again at that time. "You win," Emily said with a grin. "You're just friends."

"Good." Sharon nodded. "Now, let's get the rest of this put away. Then that very good friend of mine owes me a foot rub."

She laughed. "I _really_ need some friends like that," Emily said.

Sharon chuckled. "You will one day." She picked up a stack of blue and white receiving blankets and placed them in a drawer. "Maybe while I have you here, you wouldn't mind going shopping with me?" As she understood it, her daughter was flying home early Monday morning. She only had her for the weekend. "I should pick out a layette, and it really is time that this brother of yours has a few more things to call his own…"


	10. Chapter 10

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Anyone who had ever insisted that morning sickness was limited to the first trimester had never been pregnant. Sharon was convinced of that. There was no time frame for it, it came on when it wanted, and having gone through three pregnancies now, she was more than acquainted with the phenomenon. She was more than seven months into her third round with it, and no fonder of it now than she had been the first two times. Especially when it woke her in the middle of the night. As she made her way into her kitchen, she recalled that she had even dealt with it while in labor with Ricky. Jack had shown up smelling of cigar smoke and it had played havoc on her sensitive stomach. The concept of time had no importance to the flux of hormones causing her nausea.

She sighed as she set the kettle on to boil and reached into her cupboard for a package of crackers. She hoped it would not be a long night. She was tired and with another meeting scheduled with her lawyer the following day, she needed rest more than anything. As she settled on a stool at the center island to wait for the kettle to heat, the baby kicked. Sharon smiled as her hand rubbed the spot. "Yes I know," she said softly. "You don't like it any better than I do."

She leaned forward and let her head rest in her other hand while her gaze wandered the kitchen. As it did, her heart froze in her chest. Her eyes settled on what appeared to be the shadow of a person, stretching inward from the porch. For just a moment Sharon was frozen. Her chest ached as she held her breath. She forced herself to take a breath and slipped quietly off the stool. Her gun was upstairs. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and inched over to the counter nearest the door where a phone sat on its base. Her hand felt strangely numb as it wrapped around the item.

Her thumb pressed it on and she inched closer to the back door, wanting to get a better look at her porch before she began dialing. A breath was drawn sharply inward when she spied the reason for the shadow. There was a man sitting on the back step. Her eyes squinted against the darkness of the night. Her breath came in thin puffs and her mouth went dry. Then she realized that his shoulders were hunched and he had his head in his hands. A tremor went through her until she noticed that the bent head was a very familiar salt and pepper. The air left her lungs in a rush.

Sharon put the phone aside and flipped the lock on the back door. She was going to kill him. It was nearing two in the morning and as much as she had missed Andy lately, it wasn't at all like him to show up in the middle of the night like this. He didn't have a key, and he would not have called to wake her, but it wasn't like him to sit on her porch in the middle of the night either. Her brows drew together in a frown as she wondered at that.

Cool spring air sent a shiver through her as she stepped out onto the porch. The wood was cold beneath her bare feet, and as the chilly air swept over her bare legs and arms, Sharon felt another shiver work its way through her. She folded her arms around her upper body and moved farther out onto the porch. "Andy?"

He didn't move. His eyes were focused on a singular item. He sighed quietly at the sound of her voice, gentle and questioning. Without looking up, and while his muscles tensed, Andy's voice sounded on the night air. It was devoid of emotion, thick and strangely dull. "Go back to bed, Sharon."

"Well I would like to." She moved closer to him, drawn by the lack of inflection in his tone. "But some guy just scared the crap out of me." Sharon joined him on the step and lowered herself, with some difficulty, to sit beside him. "Hey," she touched his arm. "Andy, what's wrong?"

His jaw clenched. His hands dropped and he let his arms drape across his knees. Andy reached down and lifted the bottle that was resting on the step below him. He had been steadily staring at it. He handed it to her. "I don't want to screw anything up," he admitted in a soft voice, "but I've never wanted it as bad as I do right now." Andy shook his head and looked away. "I didn't know where else to go."

Sharon's hand wrapped around the cool glass. She turned it in her hand and from the lights shining from inside the kitchen, she read the label. Bourbon, and not the cheap stuff either. As she inspected the bottle, she found that the seal hadn't been broken. It was unopened. He hadn't taken a drink, but he wanted one. She sighed quietly and lay a hand against his back. "Andy," his name was a whisper on her lips. That he hadn't opened the bottle, that he'd gone somewhere he would feel safe, that spoke volumes. Sharon placed the bottle on her other side, out of his sight. "What happened?" She asked gently.

His eyes closed and he turned away from her. He didn't want to think about it anymore. "Bad case," was all he said. The images assaulted him, however. All of their cases were bad, but some were worse than others. This one was affecting him more than it should. "A dirtbag sliced up his girlfriend and stuffed her into the trunk of her car. Then he left it parked in her parents driveway." His jaw clenched again and nausea rolled in his stomach. "She was pregnant."

When he looked at her, the raw pain in his eyes stole her breath. Her hand cupped his cheek. "You're usually very good at detaching yourself from it all, but this one made you think of me." Moisture pooled in her eyes. "Andy…" Her thumb stroked the stubbled curve of his cheek. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days. She hadn't seen him in just over that.

"Yeah," he admitted with a shrug. "She wasn't even brunette. Blonde, but she was pretty far along. Her name was Melanie, and she was a law student. She was going to name her daughter Sarah…" A tremor went through him and he shook his head. "The bastard didn't want a kid. Didn't want to get hit with the child support. So he killed them both." Andy's jaw clenched. "I shot him."

Sharon's eyes widened. Her phone hadn't gone off, but then, she wasn't on the overnight on call schedule anymore. Her team was handling that, unless they felt she was specifically needed. "When?" Her chest clenched, while her heart ached for him.

"A few hours ago." He shrugged. "I got done with FID and then on my way home.. I stopped at the store." Andy shook his head. "Elliot is calling it justified since the guy had a weapon and he was going to use it. I don't know about that, Sharon. I mean, I know he was going to charge us with that knife, but I think I wanted an excuse." Andy looked down, his shoulders slumped again. "I shouldn't be telling you that." He winced because he was putting her in a difficult position.

"I'm not the Captain of FID right now," Sharon decided. Her hand moved up and down his back while she leaned into his side. "You can tell me anything that you need to, Andy. It's not my case. I trust Sergeant Elliot. He was my recruit. I trained him. His instincts are good. More than that…" Her other hand gripped his chin and she encouraged him to look at her again. "I trust you. Even if you thought he deserved to die for what he did, Andy, you wouldn't have killed him without justification. You were protecting yourself and your team, I believe that." Her hand slid up his back and into his hair. She combed her fingers through the short, silver cropped locks. "If you were really fueled by righteous anger when you pulled that trigger, then you wouldn't be feeling the way that you are right now."

Andy looked down again, at his hands hanging limply between his knees. "I wish I could believe that. I'm not so sure."

This wasn't him. It wasn't like him to question himself so thoroughly about his work. His personal life, perhaps, but not when it came to his work. That was the one area of his life where he felt solid. It was why he threw himself into it so deeply when his personal life wasn't going as he would like it to. "I am." Sharon slid her hand into his. "Andy, look at me." When she had his gaze, she smiled gently. "I've been doing this for a long time. I've seen a lot of Officer Involved Shootings. I've seen the aftermath, and I've questioned enough of you to know that guilt does not follow an unjustified use of force. I also know you. You're a good cop, Andy. You take care of yourself, and you take care of your people. You try to preserve life whenever you can. You can be hotheaded and downright belligerent, and sometimes I think your mouth works faster than your brain, but you are still one of the very best."

He hung his head again. When he looked up at her, his eyes were still sad, but there was hope in his expression. "That's really how you see me?" Perhaps he had just needed to hear _her_ say it.

"Of course." Her heart ached for him again. "Andy, I'd have removed you from duty years ago if I thought otherwise. You don't always act wisely, but it does always come from a very good place. I may doubt your actions occasionally, but I've never had to doubt your heart." Her hand moved through his hair again before settling against his cheek. "You killed a dangerous man who did a horrible thing. You did it to save lives, not to avenge them. That you feel badly about it, that tells me more than a thousand reports written by my people could. Life is precious, even when they're dirtbags deserving of a lethal injection. You don't take the law into your own hands whenever you can help it. You're a good cop, Andy Flynn, and an even better man."

His teeth ground together as he looked down again. He swallowed past the painful lump in his throat. "I thought of you," he said hoarsely. "All I could see was you, and think of Joey, and how close you come to dangerous scumbags like that everyday. I spend more time away from you during the day than I spend with you, and if something happens to you, I won't be there to stop it. I can't protect you."

Her breath hitched at the raw pain in his words. "_Andy_." Sharon leaned closer to him. Her nose brushed his cheek. Her lips were soft against his jaw. "I don't need you to protect me," she said gently. "But it matters that you want to. We can't stop the evil in this world. We can only limit the damage."

His mouth opened but there were no words forthcoming. Andy looked away from her. How could he tell her that he was falling in love with her? That he'd realized over the last two days that his need to keep her safe was born out of some deeper emotion and need. He was going to end up hurting her, he thought, because he couldn't stop this emotion that was taking hold of him. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to. All that he knew was that he needed her, and the more he was around her, the more that he _wanted_ to be around her.

Another tremor went through him. He looked at her again, his dark eyes still pained. "I wasn't going to open it. But I really wanted to." That scared the hell out of him.

"You didn't." Sharon pulled him closer. "That's what matters," she said gently. "What is it that you tell the new members at your AA meetings?"

A ragged sigh left him. "Don't think about not ever having a drink again. Just think about not having one _today_." Andy nodded slowly. "I'll go to one tomorrow, I just…"

"You're safe here." She stroked his hair again. "I'm really glad that you came. No matter what else happens, Andy, you can always come to me if you need to. I am always going to care about what happens to you."

He looked at her, emotion burning in his eyes. "Sharon, I—"

She pressed her fingers against his lips and smiled. She thought she knew what he might be about to say. The way he'd looked at her stole her breath. She knew that she wasn't ready to hear that, and she didn't know when or if she would be. She also had a feeling that if he said it tonight, while his emotions were laid raw, he would regret it. Sharon wrapped her other hand around the wooden banister of the porch and with a hand braced on his shoulder, she pushed herself up. It wasn't easy, but she managed it. She smiled gently down at him once she gained her feet and held out a hand. "Andy, it's cold out here. Let's go to bed."

He studied her hand for a moment before his eyes tracked up her body. He thought it might be a better idea if he went home. Andy couldn't seem to make himself do that. He took her hand and he pulled himself up. When he stood over her, he swept a lock of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?" Hair mussed, wearing only a plain t-shirt, and without makeup or her glasses, she was still the loveliest thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

Her lips curved into a warm, affectionate smile. "More times than you know." Sharon kept her hold on his hand, even when she picked up the unopened bottle of bourbon. She drew him into her house and realized that the kettle had long since started to whistle its readiness. She had forgotten all about her nausea and it didn't seem to plague her quite so much now. She removed the kettle from the stove, and then while he stood awkwardly in the center of her kitchen, Sharon opened the bourbon and poured it down her sink.

After the bottle was deposited into the trash, Sharon took his hand and drew him with her through the house. They made their way upstairs and she was keenly aware that he had never spent the night in her bed before. Tonight she couldn't see sending him home, and when she thought about it, given all that they'd done together in that bed and other areas of the house, sleeping seemed to be the most innocent of their activities.

It was Sharon that drew his tie from his neck. Andy watched her as she pushed his jacket off his shoulders and then tossed both of them to lie across a chair in the corner of her bedroom. His hands moved into her hair and he tipped her head back. He lowered his head and brushed a soft kiss against her lips. He toed out of his shoes while she tugged at his belt. She placed his badge on her dresser. He didn't have his gun, it was still with FID.

When he was in only his boxers and a t-shirt, she drew him to the bed with her. Sharon pulled him down beside him and curled her arms around him as his head came to rest against her chest. When his hand settled against her stomach, fingers gentle as he stroked it, she felt tears sting her eyes again. She turned her face and pressed her lips into his hair. Her hands moved gently against his back and arm. She held him to her while she curled a leg around both of his. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it would suffice, especially if it was what he needed.

"Go to sleep." His voice rumbled quietly in the dark room, and it took her a moment to realize that it was the baby he was speaking to. Joey was stretching, pushing his legs upward and trying to make more room for himself. Something he did every time she lay on her back.

Andy's voice and his hand gently stroking her stomach soothed the baby. She felt Joey begin to settle again, and reflected on the fact that Andy was the only one he really listened to anymore.

Tired though she was, she didn't let her eyes close until she felt him begin to relax against her. When his breaths came slower, and more regularly, she allowed herself to close her eyes. As she began to drift, she found herself wishing that their circumstances were different. That their lie could be a reality. That he was Joey's father.

MCMCMCMCMCMC

When Sharon woke the following morning, she found herself alone in bed. She was curled on her side and hugging a pillow. She listened carefully to the silence in the house, and then heard the sound of the shower running. Her lips curled into a smile that he hadn't just slipped away during the night. She used the kids' bathroom down the hall to take care of her morning routine, and debated joining him. After careful consideration, she decided the temptation was far too strong to resist.

The bathroom attached to the master bedroom was not overly large, but it contained a separate shower and tub. She shed the t-shirt that she had gone to bed in and ran her hands through her hair before she stepped into the shower behind him. He started slightly when he felt her hands against his back. Sharon hummed and leaned into him. Her lips were gentle against the back of his shoulder. "Hi."

Andy turned beneath the heat of the spray and felt a smile form. "Hi." He reached up and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Did I wake you?" He had hoped to let her sleep a little while longer after keeping her up so long the previous night.

"No." Her hands slid up his chest. Sharon rocked up on the balls of her feet and she tipped her face toward his for a kiss. "It was the alarm. How are you?"

He shrugged. "Better than last night." His hands settled against her shoulders and then slid slowly downward. "I'm still going to go to a meeting this morning, but the urge isn't quite as strong as it was. I think I just didn't want to feel it, you know? I knew that would cut the pain."

"I know." She smile gently at him. "Andy, I know that you're kicking yourself right now, but I am proud of you." His fingers danced down her back. "You didn't open that bottle."

"No, but I wanted to. That's what I've got to deal with today." He lowered his head and let his lips find hers again. His tongue swept across her bottom lip, teasing her. "Turn around," he rumbled quietly. "I'll wash your hair."

"Later." She curled an arm around his neck and drew his mouth back to hers. Her other hand slid down his front. She felt his breath hitch when her fingers skirted his length. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind a little company," she mumbled against his mouth.

"Hot, sexy woman in the shower, what am I? Stupid?" Andy slipped an arm around her waist. His other tipped her head back. His mouth moved over hers and when her lips parted, he groaned at the taste of her. He couldn't seem to get close enough to her, though, not with the curve of her stomach between them. He drew away and turned her. His chest pressed against her back and his hands slid up to cup the heavy weight of her breasts. His tongue chased droplets of water down the side of her neck and across her shoulder. "I never mind your company," he told her.

It was a slow build, the heat that he created inside her, but she wanted him. She also thought that, he _needed_ her. With her heart still guarded, she could give him this, if nothing else. It wasn't exactly the most graceful way to offer him her body, but they made it work. She did care for him, deeply, and perhaps if she was honest with herself, she needed him too. Sharon just couldn't allow herself to move beyond that, not when there was still so much else in her life left up in the air, and especially not with the memory of heartache still so recent.

Afterward, while Sharon sat at her dressing table straightening her hair, Andy perched on the edge of the bed and watched. "Why do you do that?" He watched her smooth the curls into soft, straight layers. "It looks good when it you let it curl."

She smiled at him in the mirror. "It makes me happy." She drew the straight iron through her hair again and chuckled. "I won't feel much like doing it soon enough." Her brow arched and Sharon shot a teasing look at him. "Are you trying to say that you don't like my hair, Andy?"

"There's nothing I can say to that is there? I'm in trouble either way?" He smirked back at her. Andy stood and walked over. He kissed the top of her head. "Hungry?" He chose the option of changing the subject.

She laughed again. "Yes, actually. I'll probably regret it later, though. So maybe just tea and toast?" She always ended up with her stomach tied in knots after seeing the lawyer. "I have a meeting this afternoon, so I won't be able to do lunch with you, but maybe we can do dinner?"

"You got it." When she turned on the bench seat to look up at him, he dropped a kiss to her lips. "Text me later, let me know what you feel up to. I'll get us a reservation or something. Or maybe I'll swing by the store, dinner can be my treat tonight." His brows bobbed. "I'm going to have time on my hands for a couple of days." He would be on a mandatory leave for at least three days following the shooting, while FID did their investigation.

"You've never cooked for me before." Sharon's brows lifted. "I'm not sure if I should be looking forward to that or not." Her head tilted, she gave him a slow, playful smile. "Is it safe to let you into my kitchen?"

"Sweetheart, you have no idea." Andy grinned at her. "I'm definitely cooking for you now. It's going to blow you away." He straightened and moved around her.

"Andy." She caught his arm before he could move away completely. Sharon drew him back around. She hesitated for a moment. Her teeth scraped against her bottom lip. Finally she shrugged. "I can check on the investigation for you, but I can't get involved. I really do trust my people to conduct this as I would."

"Yeah." He leaned over and let his mouth touch hers again. "I trust _you_," he told her. "I may not always like your job, but you've never screwed me over. I don't think any of those kids are as good as you are, but if you believe in them, that's all I gotta know." Andy shrugged. "Hell, it's not the first time I've been through one of these. I doubt it will be the last. Just a bad case with really rotten timing."

She smiled up at him. It was more than that and they both knew it. He just didn't want her worrying about him. "I'll be done here soon," she said softly. "Why don't you go make that tea." She waited for him to go before she turned back to her mirror. Sharon lifted the straightener again, but lowered it with a sigh. Maybe she would just peek at Sergeant Elliot's notes, just to content herself that he was proceeding as he should. She couldn't get involved, and she wouldn't, but there was no rule against looking out for someone… even if she was only doing it from a distance.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Sharon left her lawyer's office with a definite headache. She was still trying to understand how it was that she had ended up on the losing end of a divorce that was twenty years in the making. California law, it seemed, did not favor the spouse left behind. The one who had worked extra shifts and operated on little sleep to pay off debts and make mortgage payments, to afford dance classes, braces, sports equipment. She had scrimped, saved, and invested. She managed by some miracle to not lose her house and to give her children the life that they deserved. She paid debts left behind by her husband, and then she put financial distance between them.

She did everything right. How was it that _she_ was the one being punished now?

When Jack left her the first time, she was blind sided by it. They were having problems and she knew that he had his addictions, but she thought that they could fight through it. Every marriage had it's issues, there were hard times and moments of despair. They weren't living in a fairy tale world. They were going to fight, and they were going to struggle, but then they would make up and be better for it. They would be stronger for it.

Jack never waited to find out how she was going to deal with the fact that he had gambled away their savings. He left her, and their children, and it was months before she heard from him again. He didn't come home immediately, he was much too busy chasing a circuit of poker tournaments.

In hindsight, Sharon realized that he only called her because she had filed for legal separation. She should have filed for divorce.

He was gone almost two years before he finally darkened her doorstep again. He was broke and he had nowhere else to go. He came home because he _said_ that he wanted to try again. He was sorry, he was weak, he would go to counseling and it would never happen again. He loved her and he loved their kids, and he couldn't live without her.

She believed him. What a fool she was.

Sharon let Jack move back into their home and they tried again to have the perfect life that she had dreamed of. Only life wasn't perfect. It was filled with long hours, dentist appointments, recitals, and little league games. Jack wasn't home for long before all of it began to weigh on his sense of adventure. After six months, he was in the wind again. His children were devastated and his wife was brokenhearted. Again.

She wasn't quite so forgiving the next time he came back to her. Jack came and went over the years. Perhaps it was her own fault for letting him, but she honestly believed that someday he would grow up and be the man, and the husband, that his family needed him to be. Her priest told her to be patient, to pray for him, to be strong in light of his weakness. Her friends told her to cut him loose, to move on and forget him. Her parents reminded her that marriage was sacred and whatever her decision, it needed to be carefully considered and not made in the heat of emotional duress.

Duress. That was exactly what Jack was claiming now.

He couldn't live with her. In the new papers, he claimed that she was too cold, too demanding. He said he was forced to be separated from his family by his wife's harsh behavior. He claimed that her unyielding detachment from him prevented his ability to be the kind of father he would have liked to be.

Her unyielding detachment? Sharon wasn't even sure where he'd managed to think that one up. She knew that her so called _detachment_ to him had allowed him back into her bed a number of times over the years. Her _detachment_ prevented her from dating or seeking release with anyone else during his absences because she held fast to the fact that she was married. It must have bee her _unyielding detachment_ which had given her an STD ten years before, when she let herself be swayed again by her husband's pleading and lies.

How pathetic was she?

The people that she interacted with daily had no idea just how pathetic she truly was. They called her Darth Raydor and yet they would be surprised to know the truth.

Now Jack was claiming adultery on top of her inability to be a caring wife. He wanted a paternity test, because he held to the fact that they had reconciled. His wife had also been sleeping around on him. It was important to him, he claimed, to know whose child she was having.

_What do we do?_

Those had been Sharon's words to the lawyer. How could they fight this? Her lawyer had no answers for her and she wished, not for the first time, that her old friend Gavin Baker had some experience in family law. She wouldn't trouble him with her problems with Jack, but she could wish that he could help her out of this situation.

They were going to counter file, of course. With all of the financial records that Sharon had turned over to her lawyer, they were going to hit back at Jack with just how close his family had come to being bankrupt in his absence. Sharon had proof of his gambling debts, and that was being used as well. They were asking for child support, for the two children that he abandoned. They were both still in college, and California Law would allow for support to be paid throughout their schooling. If Jack had thought he was in the clear when Ricky turned eighteen, he was mistaken.

They were claiming nonpayment all the way back to the date of the legal separation filing. It was going to amount to tens of thousands of dollars, for each of their two children. He could not claim that any emotional duress had prevented him from supporting his children throughout the years.

They were going to strike back at him, but it did not prevent the hurt he had already caused. She was a cold, emotionless, cheating whore. She had not held her family together, she had not waited for him to come home, and she certainly had not forgiven him time and again for his transgressions against the family he claimed to have loved.

To top off her perfectly wonderful day, she was also a heartless bitch. That was the summation delivered to her by Detective Henderson from Narcotics. His suspension had not, apparently, given him pause in his interactions with other officers. The man had gotten into an altercation with another officer, not even a month after his return. Sharon had not handled the case, one of her team had, but as the supervising officer she was called in to the disciplinary hearing.

Henderson had been sent to a number of seminars over the years. From Anger Management to Diversity in the Workplace. He had been counseled and he had been disciplined. His little incident with Flynn at a crime scene some months before had only been one in a long list of similar incidents. He was bad tempered and foul mouthed. Not even his immediate supervisor was willing to stand up for him this time. Sharon had moved for dismissal.

The committee was going to take it under advisement. They would review his file and FID's findings, and a decision would be rendered. Until then, Henderson was on administrative leave. After the run-in that she had with him outside the hearing, Sharon was determined that the man would never carry a badge again.

It didn't seem to matter to him that there was a witness, or that she was a superior officer, or even that she was pregnant. Henderson had backed her into a wall while he attempted to intimidate her. She hadn't allowed it, however, and her frosty response had apparently earned her the new monicker of _heartless bitch_. Honestly she had been called worse, and by people far more creative and influential than Detective Henderson.

On a normal day it wouldn't have bothered her, but Sharon wasn't exactly having a normal day. In fact, she was convinced now that if any day had earned the classification of being called the _Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day_ it was this one. The meeting with her lawyer and the run-in with Henderson had only managed to be the beginning. Upon returning to her office, Sharon had a request to report to Pope's office.

It was quite obvious that the Assistant Chief was on his way out. Everyone knew that as soon as Delk finished planning his restructure of the LAPD, Pope would either be without a job or working for her. That didn't stop him from continuing to throw his weight around, in so much and so long as he could. He had called her into his office to demand to know _why_ FID had half of Major Crimes on leave pending conclusion of a Use of Force investigation. Sharon couldn't answer that, as she had only _just_ returned to her office and knew only of Andy's shooting. Not knowing the answer hadn't made her look exactly on top of things.

Pope insisted that if her personal life was getting in the way of how she did her job, then perhaps it was time for the LAPD to find someone else who could do it. Obviously she had some personal ties to Major Crimes, and if she was going to recuse herself so thoroughly from the goings on of the LAPD's most elite squad of Detectives, then they would have to find another use for her. Or she could opt to retire.

Sharon was furious at his audacity. Her eyes had narrowed. She glared darkly back at him but wisely kept her mouth closed while she inhaled deeply and counted to ten. Then she informed him that she had _not_ recused herself from anything. Rather she had not been on call the previous night and had spent the morning in meetings, one of which concerning the possible dismissal of a detective from Narcotics. She was sure that upon returning to her office where the report was waiting for her, she would be able to tell him _exactly _what Major Crimes and done and why they were on stand down at present.

Her frosty tone must have gotten through his thick skull. It wasn't often that she drug out the Wicked Witch for dealing with superiors, but Pope had earned it. He seemed to recognize that fact, he quickly amended his attitude and asked her to _please_ get back to him just as soon as she could.

Sharon wanted to remove his bald head and use it as a basketball. She refrained from letting herself think too much on that as she left. She only made it half way down the hall before she ran into Chief Johnson.

"_Captain, there you are!__" __Brenda sounded harangued. __"__I have been looking for you all over,__" __she drawled. _

_Sharon wasn__'__t in the mood for her either. __"__Yes, I know, Chief.__" __She threw her hands up in exasperation. __"__You__'__re down three of your team and that has you on standby. I don__'__t know why, but if you will give me fifteen minutes to get back to my office and follow up with my people, I am sure that I can have an answer for you!__" _

_Brenda was taken back by the surly tone. The Captain could be a real bitch, but lately she had been pleasant. She could almost say that some of them even liked her. This thing with Lieutenant Flynn had helped them to see her in a different light. A different light that was currently fading away as the old light shined brighter. Brenda__'__s eyebrows climbed toward her hairline. __"__I know why. I__'__m just wondering how long it__'__s going to take.__" __She waved a hand and rolled her eyes. __"__I mean, it__'__s pretty obvious that we have to wait for ballistics to come back.__" _

_Sharon shook her head and sighed. __"__Maybe you can fill me in on the specifics then. I haven__'__t seen the report yet.__" __She folded her arms across her chest and tried to cool her rising blood pressure. __"__I only know what Andy told me last night.__" __She held up a hand before the Chief could go on, __"__and _that_ I cannot get involved in.__" _

"_Well of course not.__" __Brenda rolled her eyes. __"__Even I know it would look a little odd if you were clearing him for a shooting while having his baby.__" __She sniffed. __"__Lieutenant Flynn was not the only one who fired off his gun last night. He got the kill shot, but Detective Sanchez and Sergeant Gabriel also fired, and we__'__re waiting for ballistics to come back and tell us which one of them hit him. There was a wound to his leg, but Andy__'__s shot actually killed the suspect.__" _

_She hummed thoughtfully. Sharon tilted her head while she thought about that. __"__Then as soon as we have the ballistics report, my people will release their weapons and your detectives can return to work. I__'__ll call down and see where the lab is with it all. With the Federal Mandate, they typically move those to the top of the list. It shouldn__'__t be much longer, Chief.__" _

"_Good.__" __Brenda seemed satisfied with that answer. They__'__d closed their case, and it was unlikely they__'__d get another before those two were back on the job. __"__Are you okay?__" __She frowned as she studied the other woman. She did seem rather short-tempered and just, entirely not the more controlled individual that she was used to encountering. _

"_Fine, Chief.__" __Sharon sighed. She waved a hand back in the direction of Pope__'__s office. __"__I don__'__t suppose you__'__d feel like updating him, so that I don__'__t have to.__" _

"_Ah.__" __Brenda nodded and smiled knowingly. Will was not exactly making a lot of friends lately. He was unhappy about how things had turned out. It seemed he__'__d taken it out on her. __"__I don__'__t mind. I was on my way there anyway. I__'__ll fill him in, and I__'__ll tell him that I asked you to focus on the ballistics report and getting my guys back to work.__" _

"_Thank you,__" __Sharon said, most grateful for the interference. __"__I__'__ll do exactly that. With any luck, I can have their weapons back to them by the end of the day.__" _

"_I can live with that.__" __Brenda smirked. __"__Now see, I think _this_ is what Delk meant when he wanted us to work together.__" _

_Sharon laughed. __"__Probably.__" __She shook her head. __"__I__'__ll give you call as soon as I know something.__" _

_Brenda watched her move further down the hall and frowned. __"__Captain.__" __When the woman turned, she shrugged. __"__How was Andy?__" _

_Her brows lifted in surprise. Not a question she__'__d have expected from anyone in Major Crimes. __"__Oh,__" __Sharon shrugged. __"__Better this morning. He had a rough night, but he seemed more put back together when I left him at home. He had something he needed to do today,__" __she said, knowing Brenda would probably understand his need to find an AA meeting. __"__I think he__'__ll be okay.__" _

"_Good.__" __Brenda nodded. __"__I think so too, but this one really bothered him.__" _

"_Yes.__" __Sharon smiled sadly. __"__So he told me.__" __She drew away again. __"__I__'__ll call you in a while, Chief.__" _

_Sharon made it to the elevator without further interruption. It was thankfully empty. As she leaned back against the wall, she wondered what else could go wrong? _

She really should not have asked that question. That was the thought on her mind as she peeled her shoes off her aching feet before leaving her car. She walked barefoot across her front walk, feet aching and body exhausted. Her head was hurting and she wanted nothing more than to curl up, sleep, and hope for a better day tomorrow. It had proven to not get much better.

After getting back to her office she had a stack of complaints. Mainly her people and their feelings on having to deal with Major Crimes. Apparently, the other division was spoiled. They were used to her. They liked having _her_ around to handle their cases. If she wasn't already frustrated with the way that her day was going, Sharon might have laughed at that.

"_I was tempted to call you,__" __Detective Michaels told her. __"__But your boyfriend wouldn__'__t let me.__" __The glare he got from her must have indicated just how far over the line he stepped, because he quickly amended it. __"__That is, Lieutenant Flynn would not allow me to bother you at home while you were not on call.__" _

"_I thought Sergeant Elliot was handling the Flynn shooting,__" __she stated, ice filling the squad room as she stared at the young detective. _

"_I am.__" __Elliot stood up from his desk. __"__I did.__" __He shot a disapproving look at the younger detective. Michaels was new, he had been recruited to fill the spot left behind the previous year by Ally Moore, one of their own who was now in jail for killing her husband. __"__I agreed with the Lieutenant that you were not to be bothered. The rest of Major Crimes just didn__'__t like it.__" __He laughed then, trying to make it a joke. __"__They just like you better, ma__'__am.__" _

"_It__'__s okay Captain.__" __Detective Davis glanced up from his desk with a wide smile. __"__We__'__ll remind them of this the next time they__'__re complaining about your rules.__" _

"_Hm.__" __Sharon hummed thoughtfully. __"__Yes, I suppose we should. Detective Michaels, let__'__s have a chat shall we?__" _

After lecturing the young officer on proper behavior in the squad room, Sharon had gotten to work on the files waiting on her desk. Among them were the reports of the shooting, save the one which directly involved Lieutenant Flynn. Elliot kept that one, just as he should. It only reminded her that she did indeed trust the detective to handle the case exactly as she would. It did little to alleviate her headache or the mood which had settled over her throughout the remainder of the day.

Then to add injury to the insult of an already bad day, Sharon lost her balance while moving around her office. She hadn't fallen, but her leg had scraped against an open file drawer. She now had a pair of ruined stockings and a scratched leg. A bandage covered the spot, just above her right knee, but it was raised and bruised, and hurt every time her skirt pulled at it. Which it did while she was sitting.

She really just wanted to forget this day had ever happened.

Upon entering her house, she tossed her shoes and the ruined stockings into a corner and took a moment to take a deep breath. Then she peeled out of her blazer, which she had only worn because of the disciplinary hearing and flung it over the newel post at the stairs. As Sharon moved further into the house she realized that the aromas permeating the air was dinner already underway.

Andy's car had been outside and that had not surprised her. He said he was going to make her dinner. She strode toward the kitchen but stopped. Sharon sank into one of the wide arm chairs in her living room instead and leaned forward. She covered her face with her hands when tears filled her eyes.

Pot roast. The scents filling the air, it was a pot roast. She'd mentioned to him, just once, that it was her favorite comfort food. He was a vegetarian, he wasn't going to eat it, but he was making it… _for her_.

Sharon drew the throw pillow from the corner of the chair and wrapped her arms around it. She buried her face against it as a choked sob sounded in her throat. Here was a man that wanted to love her. He did love her. She just wouldn't let him say it. Her heart broke a little at that. How was it that others thought her so cold when this man, who could literally pick up whoever he wanted, seemed to want only her? She who was heavily pregnant with another man's child, swollen and fat, and completely unattractive. Yet he touched her as if she were precious and he held her as though he would never let go. He called her name in the throes of passion, and he took care of her, in spite of the fact that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

She should send him away. She should give him the opportunity to find a woman that would love him in the way he deserved. The thought of it, though, filled her with such fear that she sobbed quietly again.

"Sharon."

She looked up at the sound of her name. The concern in his eyes had her looking away. She shook her head and pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and nose as another wave of tears slid down her cheeks. How selfish was she that all she wanted were his arms around her, promising her that everything would be okay?

He knelt in front of her. His hands slid gently up and down the backs of her calves. She didn't often break, but he could imagine the day she'd had. He knew she had seen the lawyer, and he wondered if she'd heard from Jack again. She was normally a very strong woman, except where her broken heart was concerned. "What happened?"

She looked down as she swept the tears away from her cheeks. She drew a breath, but it shuddered in her chest. "It's just been a very long, very bad day." Sharon sniffled quietly. "All day people have been telling me just how horrible I am, and then I get home, and its true. I'm using you, and I don't have the strength to send you away. What you tried to say last night, I don't know if I will ever be able to—and I _should_ send you away. You deserve better than this, better than me, and I know that, but my god I need you, and I don't—"

He stopped her with his lips. His hands cupped her face. Andy leaned forward and covered her mouth with his own. She tasted of salt and tears, and the tea that she obviously had that afternoon. It made his chest ache to see her like this. His stomach clenched and a lump formed in his throat. She was hurting and he had only, somehow, managed to make that worse. His thumbs swept her cheeks, smoothing away the tears while he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and his tongue eased the bruising her worried abuse had caused. Her hands curled in his shirt.

Andy swept her hair back from her face as his head lifted. Her eyes were still closed. His lips moved to her cheeks. He kissed the cool, damp skin. Then he kissed each closed, damp lid. Finally, his lips brushed the tip of her nose. He watched her lips curve upward at the action, just as they always did, but it was a hauntingly sad smile.

"You can stop feeling sorry for yourself now," he rumbled quietly, "because I'm not leaving. My best friend is smart, sexy, and funny. The sex is great, and it doesn't matter what I'm feeling right now, because she needs me. We promised that we would still be friends, and we are. You're not using me, I'm here because I want to be. There's this lady that I think is great, and she deserves a hell of a lot better than what she's getting. She sure as hell deserves better than me. He hurt you, and he's still hurting you. You loved your husband, and there's nothing wrong with that, Sharon." He kissed her again, lips light against hers. "You're not horrible, you're actually pretty damned fantastic. It bothers you that you don't feel more, and it shouldn't. If you were as bad as all that, you wouldn't give a damn."

"I don't deserve you," she whispered. Her trembling fingers touched his face. She traced the line of his jaw and smiled sadly again. "You keep giving and I keep taking, when does it stop?"

"What was last night?" His brows lifted knowingly. "I don't seem to recall you doing any taking last night. This goes both ways. You were there when I needed you. You're here right now." Andy sighed. "Sharon, it's not a problem. I'm where I want to be. Maybe that's pathetic but—"

"No." she pressed her fingers against his mouth. "No, I don't think so at all. It's pretty wonderful. I just don't want to hurt you, Andy."

"Then you won't." He shrugged. "We can't predict the future, Sharon. We don't know what's going to happen, or how any of this is going to turn out. We can just keep doing the best we're able. That's all I've got. You'll get there or you won't, and we'll cross that bridge when it's time to. Right now the only thing you need to worry about is taking care of yourself and that baby. I'll handle the rest, and I'd do that for any of my friends. You just happen to be my favorite of the lot."

She stroked his cheek and hummed quietly. "My best friend is sexy, funny, and sweet," she said softly. "I know I'm a mess, but I'm glad you're here."

"Lady," he laughed. "I've been a mess practically my whole life. You've got a crap husband and a crappy situation. I think you're entitled to feeling beat down and hurt. Also, I know it's a huge secret, but you're kind of knocked up. I think we can chalk a lot of it up to hormones."

She giggled quietly. "So you mean that I can say this pregnancy is screwing with my head and leave it at that?" Sharon shook her head. "It's not all that, but that's a big part of it. It's not easy having to wage war with my own body over control of my emotions. The rest is just all me, wanting one thing, having another, and wishing for the best."

"Sounds pretty human." Andy's eyes widened. "Darth Raydor is human. Someone call the press." He felt better when she smiled. It was all a hell of a situation. It seemed to be getting messier the longer they were in it. He could no more walk away from her, though, than she could ask him to leave. Where that would end up leaving them in the end, he didn't know. It could get better or it could get worse, but all they could do was manage it a day at a time. "I've got an idea." Andy stood and drew her to her feet. "Go take a bath. Dinner isn't ready yet, you've got time to get rid of this day. I'll come get you when it's done."

"I think you're right." Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly. "It's just been a very bad day." A bath sounded wonderful for her aching back, legs and feet. It was the best idea she'd heard all day. Sharon leaned into him and let her arms circle his waist. Her head tipped back and she offered a smile. "I am glad that you're here."

"So am I." He walked her to the stairs. His lips touched hers again before he drew away. "Don't try to get out by yourself. I'll come get you."

That sounded surprisingly like an order. Sharon's brows rose. "I think this pregnancy is screwing with your head too. You're getting awfully bossy, Lieutenant."

"Yeah, and you're getting huge." He smirked at her. "Sharon, I mean it. You can barely get out of a chair by yourself. I won't have you falling in the tub."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then maybe you should come help me _in_ to it too." She arched a brow at him. "Since I'm so enormously huge."

Andy only grinned. He calculated how much time he could spend away from the dinner that was cooking currently. "You're on." He turned her and began prodding her up the stairs. "Nothing I like better than getting you naked."

"How is it that you can make helping me sound crude?" She asked. Sharon rolled her eyes as she was guided to the second floor and down the hall.

"It's not the helping you part that's going to be crude, it's what I'm going to do when I get you naked." When she grunted at him, he laughed. Really, maybe it was pathetic, but how could he not love her? She was sexy, funny, and smart. She was vulnerable and warm, and beautiful. He was where he wanted to be, and he had hope that someday she'd be able to love him. Someday she'd be able to look beyond the hurt of her present situation and her heart would be healed.

He could be patient; she was worth waiting for.


	12. Chapter 12

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Sleeping in Sharon's bed did not become an every night occurrence. Andy still went home to his own place more times that he didn't. If he was with her and it got particularly late, she would take his hand and draw him upstairs with her. They had not been together again, physically, since the morning in the shower. Sharon was tired, and she was stressed, and feeling entirely too emotional about everything that was happening in her life at present.

A shift happened between them, however. Their evenings were not only relegated to her house. He found that she was spending time with him in his small bungalow. She would curl up with him in his wide, old recliner or lay on his sofa with her head in his lap while his fingers combed through her hair. She was making a conscious choice to try and be there for him, just as he had for her. Andy appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn't needed. He let her do it, however, because it was what she seemed to need.

It felt normal, right somehow. As though what they had was becoming more of a normal relationship. If she happened to be too tired to drive home on the evenings that she was with him, Andy took her to his bed and spent the night with her curled against him.

Most often, in his bed or hers, he woke with Sharon curled against his back. She was a heat seeker and would scoot just as close as she could. No one would probably ever believe him, Sharon Raydor was a born snuggler. It was cute, the way that her nose would wrinkle when he moved away from her. She would sigh or hum and seek him out again.

It was not her snuggling which had woken him tonight. They hadn't seen each other in almost a week. He was on another case, and she had a few items of her own that required attention. He knew that she had another meeting with her lawyer, but Sharon didn't like to talk about that. He wouldn't press her on it either, she would tell him when she was ready. She also had a doctor's appointment that week. She had come to his house, frustrated and worried, because her doctor was placing her on an early maternity leave. Her blood pressure was too high. She had the rest of the week to get things in order for her team, and then she was done until after the baby was born.

He knew that she was feeling helpless. She didn't like being out of control. There was nothing that she could do to wrangle the situation back into something manageable. Here she was, more than seven and a half months pregnant, closer to eight than she wasn't, and if she couldn't get her stress levels under control, her doctor had threatened her with bed rest.

But she had missed him. She looked just a bit shy when she admitted that. It had been a long week for him and he was spent, but he ordered dinner for them, and later he drew her into the shower with him. They hadn't had sex, but he had washed her hair and she had washed his back. Then he put her in one of his t-shirts and tucked her into bed. He told her about their case, and the dead ends that kept creeping up just when they thought they were getting somewhere. Sharon promised to go over it with him in the morning, to sit down with him and let him talk her through the whole thing. She told him that an objective eye might find something that they'd missed. Then she grinned at him, she wasn't an elite detective, but she did okay.

Andy said they would see about that. He was going to put her through her paces. He joked that he'd make a homicide detective out of her. Maybe he'd get the Chief to hire her. They had both laughed at that, and with his hand combing slowly through her curling hair, they both relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

He was used to the soft hums and quiet sighs that came from Sharon throughout the night. It was unusual, however, to wake up and find her curled away from him. Andy rolled and reached for her. He drew her back against his chest and settled with his face tucked against her neck. When she groaned and tensed against him, he stroked his hand down her arm. His hand moved around her to rest against her stomach and he felt the muscles tighten beneath his hand. Her sharply in drawn breath had his head raising and alarm settling inside him.

"Sharon?" He reached for the lamp and blinked when light filled the room.

"I know," she said tightly. "I was hoping it was just the Braxton-Hicks. I've had a few of those." This felt decidedly different, however. It was much deeper, and a low dull ache had settled across her abdomen. "I wasn't going to wake you if it was just the other," she said.

She was pale. Her eyes were pained when she lifted her gaze, and there was fear etched across her face. His hand stroked her stomach. Her contractions felt all too real to him. "I'll get dressed," he said, much more calmly than he felt. "It might still be the false labor. We'll go find out, it'll be fine."

Sharon swallowed hard and shook her head. Her eyes closed as a tremor worked its way through her. "My water broke right before you woke up," she whispered. "It's not false labor, it's happening." It was much too soon. She didn't have to say it.

Her skin felt too cool to the touch for his liking. Andy swept a lock of hair behind her ear and pushed their blankets back. "Let's go. We'll get you dressed. You'll call your doctor on the way." He rolled from the bed and reached for the pants he discarded earlier. He pulled them on with quick, jerky movements. He didn't want to think about what her having the baby this early would mean. She had several weeks to go, more than a month, but it couldn't be that early. This was just not a situation that he could make okay for her.

"_Andy_."

Her voice was low, panicked. When he turned, he found her seated in his bed. Her eyes were wide, and in the dim light from the lamp, they looked almost black. He watched her hands fist in the sheet beneath her, but his gaze was drawn to where she was staring. There was blood smeared on her thighs, mixed with the amniotic fluid, and it stood out in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin. He stared at it for a moment, stomach dropping and heart wrenching. "The hell with it," he said. He reached for her, drew her off the bed and into his arms. He lifted her as though she weighed nothing and carried her through the house. He grabbed his keys, wallet and badge from where he'd left them and then he carried her to his car. He wasn't going to wait for an ambulance and he wasn't going to waste time getting her dressed.

Andy settled her in the passenger seat and rounded the car quickly. He used his siren, and he didn't give a damn if it woke his neighbors. He drove with one hand and settled the other against her stomach. Hers was gripping his wrist tightly. Their only saving grace, the only light in the panic, was Joey still moving beneath their hands. This baby that was already named and already loved. This child whose nursery was now completed and decorated. The door to that room even bore a carved, wooden sign which read _Joey_, painted in blues and greens and yellows. The shower gift from the Chief and Agent Howard.

He didn't tell her that it would be okay. He couldn't lie to her. Instead, Andy looked at her as her grip on his arm loosened and he realized that she was too pale beneath the street lights. He noticed her breaths coming in thin, shallow puffs and her head beginning to dip. He saw the dark liquid coating her thighs and felt his own breathing become labored. His chest clenched. His stomach worked itself into a tight knot. He felt the baby move beneath his hand again, and realized that Joey was still alive, but his mother was slowly slipping away.

"Sharon look at me." His voice was raw, rasping in the car, and hard to hear over the sound of the siren overhead. Her eyes fluttered but he didn't think she really saw him. "Sharon!" Her lips were pale and her fingers were cold as they slipped away from his wrist. Her head rolled against the headrest of the seat, and she stared at him, but she was unseeing. "I love you." He thought perhaps her lips twitched, but her eyes closed and her head slumped.

What followed could have only been described as detached chaos. He felt like he was watching it all, rather than experiencing it. He almost ran another car off the road, and by some miracle, managed to make it to St. Catherine's Hospital without killing both of them. His car screeched to a stop in the ambulance bay. He bellowed for help as he rounded the hood and pulled open the passenger door. She was limp when he pulled her out, unconscious and unmoving in his arms. He was met at the door, the personnel alerted by his siren and squealing tires.

Sharon was taken away from him. He was left standing, light headed and unable to breathe as she was whisked away from him. When he looked down at himself he realized that his t-shirt was smeared with red, and so was his arm from where he had slipped it beneath her legs to lift her. Andy turned away from the emergency entrance. He stumbled toward the curb and leaned heavily against the hood of his car when he bent, struggling to draw air. His stomach rolled and he turned toward the street just in time to empty its contents on the pavement.

He was going to lose her. He was going to lose them both, this woman and this child that he loved. Because surely as he had fallen in love with the mother, he had started to think that maybe it didn't need to be a lie. Jack didn't want this baby, but he did. He could be the father that they had pretended to the world that he was. His best friend wasn't ready to accept his heart, but he could give her that, a father for her child. Really, wasn't he already? He put together the nursery, and he rubbed her feet and her back. He soothed Joey to sleep when he was too active and his mother needed to rest. She joked that he only listened to _him_. So honestly, who were they kidding here?

He was going to wait until Joey was born to talk to her about that. He didn't want to give her one more thing to worry about. Now it was too late. It didn't matter. He was going to lose them both.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Andy looked up when a woman in scrubs that he didn't know approached him. He lied to the NICU staff after he found out that Joey had been taken there and was, by some miracle, still alive. He told them that he was the father and flashed his badge for good measure. Sharon's doctor would know the truth, though, and he imagined she was going to kick him out and probably call Jack. What would become of this tiny creature then, he wondered. This boy that was four pounds of fighter and hanging on in a world that was only going to be cruel to him. His jaw clenched as he drew his hand away from the inside of the incubator. He looked at her, and realized that she was drawn and tired. His heart twisted painfully. "Is she dead?"

"You must be Andy." She smiled weakly at him. "She told me about you. Told me about this," she nodded to the tiny infant in the incubator. There were wires and tubes. He was small and his lungs were not fully developed. He was strong, however, and doing the best that he could for having been born so early. She clasped her hands in front of her and sighed. "I'm Doctor Sheila Nelson. I'm the OB that has been treating Sharon throughout the course of her pregnancy. She and I discussed at her last appointment that if anything happened to her, she wanted to be sure that I would be able to speak to you. If somehow her husband ended up involved, she didn't want you to be shut out. She's in recovery right now, but she's still in critical condition. The pregnancy put a lot of stress on her system, specifically on her heart. I don't know how much she's told you about her condition lately, but I had already removed her from active duty. I was prepared to put her on bed rest if we couldn't get her blood pressure under control. It has weakened her, but what happened tonight was a complication that could have happened to anyone. The bleeding was a result of a placental abruption. I understand you drove her here yourself, if you had waited for an ambulance to be dispatched, the end result would likely have been different for both of them."

Most of what she said sounded like garbled noise. Andy was focused only on the part where she informed him that Sharon was still alive. He rested a hand against the top of the incubator and drew a thin, shaking breath. "She's alive?"

"Yes." Doctor Nelson inclined her head at him. She offered a comforting smile. "We were able to get the bleeding under control, and if she continues to do well, I think she should recover fully." Her gaze moved to the baby and she watched him. "He's got a long road. The specialist tells me that he thinks he has a good chance."

"Yeah," Andy looked down at him. "That's what he told me. He uh…" He shook his head, found that he felt a little light headed. Andy drew a breath. "Everything looks good except the lungs. They're going to watch him, do what they can." His relief trembled through him. "Can I see her?" He looked at the doctor again.

"Not yet." Sheila shook her head. "In the morning. We'll be observing her over night. For now I would recommend that you get some rest, Lieutenant. It's been a difficult night. You won't do either of them any favors if you collapse."

Andy stubbornly shook his head. "I'm not leaving." His gaze went back to the baby. "His mom'll kill me if I leave him alone." He would stay, until Sharon could join him. One of them should be there.

"I'll leave you to your vigil then," the doctor said. "But do try to get some rest. The days ahead are going to be long." The baby was not out of the woods yet, and his condition could easily take a turn for the worst. She had seen it too many times with other patients.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll keep that in mind." He would sleep when Sharon was able to hold her son in her arms. Andy sat back in the chair that had been drawn beside the incubator. His hand slipped into the hole in its side. Long arms and long legs, Joey was going to be a tall one, just as they predicted. He was tiny, however, and it was painful to look at him. Andy couldn't tear his gaze away. His finger tip stroked the tiny fingers, long like his mother's. "Did ya hear that, kid? Ma's doing alright so far. Maybe we'll get to see her soon. I think you're going to like her. She's really something." The baby's fingers curled around the tip of his finger and he knew it was reflex, but Andy smiled anyway. "Maybe you remember me too. I'm the guy always telling you to cut it out, well now I'm telling you to keep it up. Hang in there, son, your mom needs you to keep fighting."

He resolved not to leave him, but there were phone calls which needed to be made. Andy stepped out only long enough to take care of those. He didn't know who he would call first, but he began dialing and found himself talking to the Chief. He requested personal leave, and apologized for that since they were in the middle of a case. He told her about Sharon, and the baby, and then he insisted that she not come down. There was nothing that anyone could do right now. He wouldn't even be able to see Sharon until sometime in the morning. She gave him his leave and she wished him the best. Andy had a feeling he'd be seeing her as soon as the sun was up.

Next he called Emily. Her number was still in his phone and he realized that he should have called her before, but all he would have done was worry her. Now he could at least tell her that her mother was in recovery and her brother was hanging on. He had no way of getting in touch with Ricky, but Emily promised to do it. She said that she would make the other calls that needed to be made, but then she told him that she wasn't calling her father. If her mother wanted him to know, she would have to make that call herself.

Andy didn't imagine that would be happening anytime soon, but it did remind him that Jack was still a problem. Now that Joey was born, it would be simple for him to arrange the paternity test. The last thing that Sharon needed right now was for him to use this to get the upper hand in their divorce. She needed to concentrate on getting stronger and getting well, and being a mother. She couldn't fight Jack too. Actually, Andy imagined that she probably could, but he wasn't going to allow her to.

He made one more phone call before he went back to sitting with Joey. He called Mike Tao. He asked him to do a little digging into Jack Raydor's business practices. Nothing too in-depth, nothing which would raise any flags. The other man hesitated, but when Andy explained that Sharon was unconscious and he needed a way to keep Jack out of the picture until she could deal with him herself, he agreed. Tao was a whiz, if there was anything that Jack had done that Andy could use against him, he'd find it. Andy was counting on that.

He spent the rest of the night keeping an eye on Joseph Flynn, that was how he had instructed them to fill out the card on the incubator. Sharon might change that when she was conscious, and she was welcome to, she could do whatever she liked, he decided, as long as she was there with him to do it. In the meantime he held on to Joey's hand and willed the boy to be stronger. He willed him to live. But he didn't have to will him to fight, he was already doing that.

He was his mother's son.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

"You look like hell." Those were the first words out of Provenza's mouth when he approached Flynn later the following day. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was mussed, and he had a definite five o'clock shadow going. On top of that, his eyes were tired and his face was drawn. He was seated in the waiting room with a cup of coffee in hand. Provenza carried a file which he dropped into the seat beside him. "Tao sent that."

Andy glanced at it and nodded. "Yeah, thanks." He ran a hand over his hair again. "What are you doing here?" He squinted up at him.

"You had a kid." Provenza wondered if he had hit his head at some point during the night. He shook his head at him. "Where else am I going to be?" He moved over and sat down in the chair on his other side. He leaned forward, arms on his knees. "How is she?"

"Still out of it," Andy shrugged. "She woke up for a few minutes this morning, but she's still pretty weak. The pain meds are keeping her under. Her kids are in there with her right now." He sighed and focused his attention on the coffee in his hand.

Provenza nodded slowly. "How's the kid?" He glanced over at his partner and took in the tired, slumped shoulders.

"Hanging in there." He let his head rest against the wall behind his chair. "He's not on a vent, they said that's good, that he's handling the local oxygen instead. I don't know what it means. He's little. He needs his mom."

"He's got his pop." Provenza shrugged. "One of two is better than none." He leaned back alongside his partner and sighed. "I can't stay. We're getting close to something. The team is going to drop by as soon as we wrap up the case. I just wanted to bring that. Tao really didn't have to do anything, just typed in a couple of queries and let it run." He waved a hand, he never understood how Tao did anything that he did.

"That's alright." Andy shook his head. "Sharon wouldn't want a fuss. Concentrate on the case. Then get some rest. We're not going anywhere." His back and shoulders were aching, but he didn't care.

"You're one to talk." Provenza snorted at him. "Go home, take a shower. Shave for crying out loud. The bearded look isn't for you buddy." He studied him for a moment longer. It wasn't in him to make false platitudes. "They're going to be okay. The wicked witch doesn't let anything get her down and the Devil's Spawn can't be stopped. He's a Flynn, it means he's a stubborn ass like his old man." Provenza reached over and slapped his shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"He's not mine." Andy's head rolled on his shoulders and he looked at his partner. "Joey, he's not mine. We weren't even together until a couple of months ago." His gaze moved back to the ceiling. "It was my idiotic mouth opening before my brain could catch up. We were just friends. She only went along with it to stall the son of a bitch while we could figure something else out. Then things just kind of… changed."

"You don't say." Provenza smirked at him. "What am I? Stupid?" He rolled his eyes at him. "You know something, you're an idiot alright. Does it matter when you started sleeping with her? You claimed him didn't you? You're here. The two of you are doing… things I never want to think about. Do the woman a favor, Flynn, get your head screwed on right before she wakes up and knocks it off your shoulders."

Andy shot a surprised look at him and then he barked a short laugh. "You didn't say anything." He leaned forward and let his elbows rest on his knees. "If you knew, why didn't you say something. What the hell was that baby gift about? You knew he wasn't mine, and you got that anyway?"

"The way I see it, you're acting like he's yours. It's only a matter of time before you pull your head out of your ass and stop lying about it. For that matter, sooner or later, she's going to wake up and smell the baby daddy too. I'm never going to understand what you see in her hell, I'm not sure what she sees in you either. It's not my business and I just don't care, but anyone with eyes can see that whatever you've had going on has made you both happy. She's been different, or maybe she was just herself and we were able to see it. Doesn't matter either. I still don't like her. Doesn't mean I want anything bad to happen. That doesn't mean I'm going to go flapping my jaw either." Provenza pushed out of his chair. "Go see your son, then go home and take a shower, maybe get something to eat. Tell the Witch we're pulling for her. Those damned kids running her division don't know their asses from Adam."

Andy snorted quietly. "You mean there could actually be something worse than Darth Raydor?" He grinned, somehow feeling a little better for having come clean with one person. The one who knew him better than most others and saw beyond all his bullshit to the truth of the matter.

"Yeah," Provenza smirked. "A bunch of little mini Darths that don't have the first clue." He ran a hand over his hair. "I'll see you, alright?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll be around. I might run home for a few minutes, but I won't leave them for longer than I have to. At least her kids are here to keep an eye on things."

"Good, that's good." Provenza nodded. He tapped the other man's shoulder again before he left. He wondered if maybe the lovesick idiot was in over his head, but it wasn't for him to say. Who was he to define the terms of a family. There was nothing for it now, except to all do the best that they could.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Andy peeked in on Sharon before he followed his partner's advice. She was still unconscious, but he told her kids his plan. Emily and Ricky were pale and drawn, worried about their mother and their little brother. He promised them that he would be back. Then he went back to the NICU to see Joey. That little boy was still hanging on. He hated to leave him, but there was something else that he needed to do too.

Andy had flipped through the file that Provenza brought him, and he thought he might just have what he needed to put Jack Raydor out of Sharon's life for good. Andy made a call before he left the hospital. He asked for a favor, but he needed a couple of hours.

He went home and showered. He shaved and stripped the sheets off his bed. He bundled them into the garbage and then he found a clean pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt to put on. When Andy left his place, he drove across town to Sharon's house. He packed a bag for her, filling it with her favorite pajamas, and the toiletries she would need for an extended hospital stay. Then he added things she might need for Joey, a blanket, a camera. Anything that might make her feel better about this situation. He didn't know when they'd get to take the little boy home, probably not before Sharon was released, but she could have something of his anyway.

Afterward, Andy drove back downtown. He met his friend in the lobby of the law firm where Jack Raydor was currently working. He handed the file to Agent Howard as they strode through the lobby. "I don't want to act on it," Andy said, "but I do want to make him _think_ we will if he doesn't back off."

Fritz's brows rose as he read quickly through the information. It was sketchy at best, but enough for a warrant for a more intense look. "Someone has been a naughty boy," he said. As they stepped into the elevator, he slanted a look at Flynn. "Does she know you're doing this?"

"Nope." Andy shrugged. "Right now she doesn't know anything. She's not conscious. When she wakes up, the husband won't be a problem anymore." His brow arched. "That's my plan anyway. He doesn't know, and I don't want to tell him. His kids didn't call him, and if Sharon wants him involved, she's got to reach out to him herself."

"You know she might not appreciate this," Fritz held up the file. They were essentially crossing a line to influence her ex-husband to lay off by threatening legal action. It was a murky line, but a line nonetheless.

"She probably won't." Andy didn't care. He was going to do the best he could to protect her, and if Sharon didn't like that, then he didn't give a damn. "I'm not really doing it for her." The doors to the elevator opened again before the other man could think too much on that. Andy stepped out and strode down the hall.

Jack Raydor wasn't expecting them, but that didn't matter. They both flashed their badges and got past the receptionist. When they strode into his office, he stood from behind his desk. "You've got a lot of nerve coming here."

Andy's lips peeled back in a mean smile. "Oh, I'm not really here. I'm just tagging along. You see, I wanted to watch the fun. This is my good friend Agent Howard from the FBI. He's the one that's going to talk to you."

Fritz tossed the file in his hands onto the desk. "It's come to my attention that you've been harassing a member of the LAPD. Now, in my capacity as liaison between the LAPD and the FBI, I take a special interest in a lot of the officers that I work with daily. When I saw this, I decided that maybe it was time to use that position to it's very best advantages. You see, I've got some friends in the RICO division. I'm wondering what they would think if I gave them that."

"You're bluffing." Jack reached for the file. "Sharon put you up to this. She can't win in the divorce so she's going to bully her way out of it, is that it?"

"If you're talking about Captain Raydor," Fritz said, "I've not informed her of my findings. Strictly speaking, I don't have a lot of dealings with FID. I have worked alongside her in the past, but really, it's my wife that spends the most time with her. If my wife knew that I had come across that and not done anything about it, I would have to deal with my wife." Fritz placed his hands on his hips and shrugged, "And I try never to have to deal with my wife, Mr. Raydor."

"So this is what you're going to do." Andy leaned forward, hands braced on the desk. He could see that Raydor was reading it, and he was believing them if the way he blanched was any indication. "You're going to sign the divorce papers. You're going to stop coming after Sharon's money. You're going to stay the hell away from her, and the hell away from my son. If you don't, then my good friend at the FBI is going to have no choice but to drop your name into a RICO investigation. Now, you could go ahead and take half of Sharon's money, but the RICO investigation would freeze all your assets. Then you'd lose it all, and possibly your freedom. Of course, that's if your new girlfriend and her family don't get rid of you first." It was Jack's dealings with his influential new girlfriend and some work that he had done for that family which had tipped Andy's hand. They had ties in the mob, on both coasts.

Jack glared at him. "So that's your play. Your darling Sharon can't win because she's not as perfect as she would like everyone to believe. So you're going to bully a win for her." He slapped the file down onto the desk.

"I wouldn't call it bullying." Andy straightened and looked at Fritz. "Would you call this bullying?"

"No." He shook his head. "I'm just trying to be helpful. RICO investigations are so unfortunate. No one wants to have to deal with that. I've never been a fan, personally. They get messy. Everyone's finances get frozen, then the whole family gets looked at. The kids would probably have to leave school for the duration. It's just… not kind. Then of course, what happens in a lot of these is that the Mob families involved start cutting their losses. They get rid of any threats. Next thing we know, Major Crimes has a new body and my wife is coming home late again. I just don't like it when that happens."

"Especially when half of Major Crimes is off the case due to personal involvement or just being suspects." Andy sighed. He shook his head. "That would be unfortunate. We all kind of like Sharon, it'd be hard to prove that one of us didn't do it. There's the obvious connection of her being my girlfriend, mother of my child, and then there's my team. I think it's the legs. She's got really great legs, you know."

"I've noticed." Fritz replied. "They are very nice legs."

"Yeah, so are your wife's," Flynn replied with a smirk. The two of them turned their attention back on Raydor. "So what's it going to be?"

His teeth ground together. "Her lawyer will have the damned papers by the end of the day," he said. "She can keep everything. I just want out." He pointed a finger at them. "No child support. Our kids are grown and…" He glared at Andy. "The other one isn't mine." He doubted that was true, but he wanted the hell out of it.

"Good choice." Andy scooped up the file. "Don't forget to make that call now. We don't want to have to come back."

"Public arrests are so expensive." Fritz turned. "I will be back, Mr. Raydor, if you don't keep up your end of the bargain. I will bring a RICO team with me, and we will turn every office on this floor upside down." At the door, he smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant look. "I don't think your employer would like that."

"She'll get the damned papers," he gritted out. "Get the hell out."

"Gladly." Andy pushed through the door and let it slam closed behind him. The easy part was done. Jack was taken care of. The hard part still remained. He would have to tell Sharon what he'd done.

Back in the elevator, Fritz cut a sideways look at the other man. "He's not yours, is he? The baby."

Andy's gaze moved slowly to him. He stared steadily back. "He is now."


	13. Chapter 13

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

When Sharon finally woke and was able to keep her eyes open she was first aware that every part of her body ached. Next she realized that she was in a hospital room. She groaned quietly as she shifted on the bed, attempting to sit up. Her gaze swept the room, she found Emily asleep on the small couch beneath the windows on the far wall. Ricky was slumped in a chair, a computer on his lap and his attention focused entirely on the screen. When she moved, he looked up.

"Em." Ricky called out to his sister as he stood. He placed the computer in the chair and moved to his mother's side. "Careful mom."

Emily rolled off the couch immediately. She swept a hand over her short hair and hurried over. "Hey mom." She eased a hip onto the edge of the bed and leaned over her. "Don't move. You had surgery."

"Gathered that." Her eyes closed and she drew a thin breath. She knew before her hand moved to her stomach that the baby was gone. "What happened?" Sharon didn't want to know the answer, she didn't want to hear the words. She forced her eyes open and kept her face impassive as she looked at her daughter, and then her son.

"I'm supposed to call Andy when you wake up," Emily pulled her phone out of her pocket. "He's upstairs." She scrolled through her contacts with one hand, reached out and covered her mother's hand with her other. "He's with Joey. They put him in the NICU."

"The NICU?" Sharon was expecting one of them to tell her that she'd lost the baby, or to bring someone else in to do it. She blinked at the pair of them. "He's okay?"

"Well, he's kind of little." Emily smiled at her. "Yeah, I think so. I mean, he's tiny mom, but so cute." Her eyes lit up and she lowered the phone. "Those teeny little hands were so adorable. I think I want one. In like, twenty years when I can't dance anymore and I'm old enough to have a kid."

"He looked kind of like an alien to me." Ricky smirked at her. He sat on the edge of the bed opposite Emily. "You know, teeny, tiny little alien baby. Our own little ET. I know you're calling him Joey, and that Andy guy told everyone that his name is Joseph, but can we name him Edward Thomas? Mom, it's perfect, I'm telling you."

Her eyes closed as relief swept over her. She exhaled quickly as a tremor ran through her. "Richard William, you will not call your little brother an alien." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and winced. "I want to see him."

"Negatory." Ricky smirked at her. "You just had, like, serious major surgery. Somehow I think getting out of bed is a big no-no." There were some things that you didn't do, and telling his mother that she couldn't do anything, well that was right up near the top of the list. Ricky remained firm, however. He might only be twenty-two years old, but he figured that almost losing his mother was an experience he never wanted to repeat. He figured he earned a little bit of leeway in bossing her around… but just a little.

"It's not my first c-section," Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly, breathing through the pain from the incision. "They'll want me up and moving around soon. I don't see a problem with moving to a wheelchair so that I can go up and see your brother."

"Mom." Emily wrapped her fingers around her hand. "I promise that he is okay, but I don't think…"

Sharon's jaw clenched. "Okay, one of you can get the nurse and she can bring a wheelchair, or I will get up and walk out of here. What's it going to be?" She looked between her two eldest children. "Emily Marie, Richard William?"

The pair of them exchanged a look. "Okay, here's the thing mom." Emily picked up her phone again. "I'm more afraid of your boyfriend right now, and he told me to keep an eye on you. So, I am calling him. If you want to bully someone around, I suggest you do it to him."

"He's bigger than us," Ricky said. "And meaner. Oh, and armed. There are handcuffs too and that is not the kind of kinky fun that either of us are in to. I mean, that might be your thing, but seriously not going there."

"_Ricky!__"_ Two voices exclaimed.

Both his mother and his sister were staring at him. His brows lifted curiously. "Too much?"

"A little." Sharon shook her head at him. Her son could be entirely too much like his father at times. He covered emotional upsets by trying to be humorous. Sometimes, like now, it fell a little flat. "Fine, call Andy. I'll deal with him myself," she drawled.

"I'm right here." Andy pushed into the room. He came down to check on Sharon, but intended to only be gone for a few minutes. His eyes lit on her, awake and obviously giving her children a hard time. He had never seen a more beautiful sight. She still looked pale and small, and as he got closer, he could see the worry in her eyes. Emily moved as he neared the bed and he sank onto the mattress beside her. "Hi."

"Hi." Sharon's gaze swept him. He looked drawn, and tired. When he took her hand she smiled weakly at him. "You've been with Joey?" Her heart fluttered. She watched his face, and although he looked concerned, he didn't look overly upset. "Andy, I want to see him."

"Hey," Andy shot a look at the kids. "Go let the nurse know she's awake. Give us a minute, will you?"

"You betcha." Emily turned on her heel. "Come on doofus." She grabbed her brother and pulled him with her toward the door.

Andy sighed once they were gone. He turned back to Sharon and leaned over her. His lips were soft against hers. "You scared me," he whispered. "I thought I was losing you." His hand cupped her cheek and he stared into her face. "For the record, I know you don't want to hear it, but I love you."

"Hm." A smile tugged at her lips. "You know, hearing it isn't so bad." She combed her fingers through his hair. "Andy, tell me that he's okay?"

He heard the fear that she wouldn't let her children hear. "He's perfect." Andy grinned at her. "Four pounds, and his lungs aren't ready for the outside world, but he's a hell of a fighter. He's doing good, getting stronger. He's going to be here a while, I think. But yeah, Sharon, I think he's doing okay." He pushed her hair away from her face and behind her ear. "He looks like you."

"I want to see him." She curled her hand around his wrist and turned her face into his hand. "Please? I need to see him. I need to be there, I can't just lay here and—"

"If they say you can get up." He wasn't going to fight her. He thought that maybe Joey needed her too. More than that, Andy didn't have it in him to keep Sharon away from her son. Not after what she had been through and the fear that he knew she was feeling now. "Listen, before you do that, there's something you should know." He looked away and sighed. He didn't know how much longer he had before the nurses would be in there. He hoped Emily would take the hint, give him just a couple of minutes with her mother. He wanted this off his chest before she saw Joey. He knew that once Sharon was with her son, her attention would shift and he would become her sole focus. That was just as it should be, and he didn't want to get in the way of that. So this had to be done now. "I did something."

Sharon shook her head. "Andy?" She watched his look go pensive. She stroked his arm slowly. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that it's—"

"Jack signed the divorce papers." He looked at her. His dark eyes were troubled. "I went down to the office with some information that I dug up on some business stuff he got into lately. Agent Howard went with me. We might have let Jack think that if he didn't stay away from you that his name would get dropped into a RICO investigation." He exhaled slowly. "I know you didn't want me involved in most of that, and I get it if you're pissed, but I wasn't letting him come after you and Joey."

She stared at him. She didn't know what to think. Sharon drew her hands away from him and looked away. She cleared her throat and tilted her head at him. "You threatened Jack into signing the divorce papers," she said at length. "So let me see if I understand. You used your badge to intimidate someone into doing what you wanted them to do, and I'm supposed to do what? Turn a blind eye to that? Do you have _any_ idea what you've opened yourself up to? If Jack files a complaint…"

"He won't." Andy sat back. "He's not going to risk having me or Howard back in his office with a warrant. He doesn't want any part of it. His dealings have been sketchy enough that he could claim intimidation but… that new girlfriend of his has mob ties, and he's done some work, so…" Andy shrugged. "I think it's going to be okay, Sharon. You're in the clear. He isn't coming after your money anymore. It's done."

"_What_ were you thinking?" Sharon continued to watch him. "Were you thinking? Andy, how could you be so… so… bullheaded!" She ran her hands through her hair. "Do you get it? Even a little? If Jack decides it's worth getting back at you for this, or even at me, there's nothing that I can do to stop it. I can't protect you from this. I won't even be able to be part of the investigation. You could lose your job, your badge, be brought up on charges. Do you have even the _slightest_ idea the kind of trouble that you could be in right now? What am I supposed to do if that happens? Of all the stubborn, idiotic, _foolish_ things that you could have done. You have pulled some stunts in your time, Andy Flynn, but this one?" Sharon shook her head at him. "My god. If I didn't love you, I swear that I'd shoot you myself."

His head snapped around so quickly that his neck almost popped with the force. Andy stared at her, eyes wide. A grin began to curve his lips. "Say that again."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "What?" He was looking at her oddly. "That you're an idiot? Oh, I can say it as many times as you'd like me to. You're a hot-tempered ass." When he reached for her she slapped his hands away. "Get away from me, I'm pissed at you." The grin on his face was practically goofy. "What?" When his smile only broadened, her eyes narrowed. "_What_?"

"You love me." He smirked. "You said that if you didn't love me, you would shoot me." Andy leaned over and kissed her. "Not exactly romantic, but I'll take it."

"Don't be absurd." Sharon turned her face away from him. "I did not."

"You did." Andy grinned broadly. "There are no take backs Sharon. You love me. It's okay. I grew on you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, like a fungus." She sniffed. "Andy, whatever I said…"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "Nuh uh." Andy shook his head. "Say it again." He nuzzled her cheek. "Go on, you know you want to."

"You really are an ass." She closed her eyes. "Andy Flynn, I think I hate you." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn't know when she first realized it. Or if it had always been there and she was just terrified of it. It did frighten her, opening herself up to someone else. He had seen her at her most vulnerable, however, and he was always there for her. "I'm still angry at you."

"I know." His brows arched. "But?"

A tremor went through her. "I love you."

His hands were in her hair and his mouth angled over hers. He swallowed the small, surprised gasp. He tipped her head back and let the kiss linger. When at last he did pull away from her, it was only to kiss the tip of her nose. "See, you were only using me in the way that I wanted to be used by you," he said softly.

Her hands gripped his wrists. "I don't know what it means," she whispered. "I don't know if I'm ready yet, but I have fallen for you. You're important to me, and I want you in my life. I just don't know yet how it's all supposed to fit together."

"I have an idea." Andy stood up and walked over to the table at the side of the room. There was a folder there which had been left by the hospital staff earlier. He carried it back to her and opened it on her lap. He took the pen that was clipped to it and clicked it on for her. "The first thing you have to do is sign this." He tugged a piece of paper out of it and lay it on top of the folder. "Joey wants to be official."

Sharon smiled. Her shaking fingers wrapped around the pen. "His birth certificate." She studied it for a moment. "Andy, what if he doesn't—"

"He's still here." He stroked her hair back. "Don't think about it like that. Think about what we know. He's strong and he's fighting. The doctors say he's got a good chance. I already filled in everything I knew. I think all you have to do is give him a middle name and sign it. For the record, I like Michael."

"Hm." She smiled and leaned her head toward his hand. Her cheek nuzzled his palm. Sharon drew a breath and turned her attention onto the form in front of her. "Okay. I need my glasses."

"Right here." He stood up and walked over to her bag. Andy drew them out of it for her. "There's also some clean stuff in here. I thought you might be comfortable in the blue pajamas."

They were her favorites. Of course he knew that. She smiled up at him. He settled her glasses on her face for her and she kissed the inside of his wrist. "Thank you." How could she not love him? Why did it take her so long. What a fool she was for not realizing it sooner. Able to see now, Sharon turned her attention back on the document. She read over it. Her finger tracing the neat, slanting scrawl of Andy's. There were a few other spaces he'd left empty, and she filled in that information. For the most part, he knew it all.

She stopped, breath hitching when she read the name he listed, and the data he filled in about the baby's father. He had listed the baby's name as Joseph Flynn, middle name missing. Below that, he had filled in her information, but it was how he listed the father that had moisture pooling in her eyes. _Andrew Michael Flynn. _Her lips pressed into a thin line to stop their trembling. She looked up at him and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Andy…"

"Hey," he shrugged. "Kid needs a dad right? What the hell, he already thinks I'm the guy, might as well make it official." He smiled a little sheepishly at her and glanced away. She could change it all, leave it blank, or put Jack's name down there. It was a gamble, but one he thought was worth it. "You always say he only listens to me. I've been with him, practically every minute since he was born. It'll just confuse him if we change things up on him now."

She lay trembling fingers against his cheek and drew his gaze back to hers. "This isn't just the two of us lying to the world. There's no going back from this, Andy. If we break up in a few months, this will still be out there."

"Doesn't matter." Andy stared steadily back at her. "He'll still be mine. Even if we don't make it and I don't really want to think about that. But even if we don't, I'm not walking away from this kid. I made a commitment to him, and that's between him and me. It doesn't have anything to do with you and I. He's my son, Sharon. Our relationship, or lack of one, won't change that."

Sharon smiled tremulously at him, "I do love you," she said, finding it much easier this time. She drew him toward her and her lips trembled as they brushed his. "I think Joseph Michael Flynn has a nice ring to it."

"Mmhm." He nuzzled her cheek. "Have I mentioned you're beautiful?"

She laughed quietly and winced. "Don't, it hurts too much." She kissed him again and then filled in the middle name on the birth certificate before signing it. "Your turn." She held out the folder and the pen before settling back into the mattress again.

Andy scrawled his signature quickly and then he tucked the form back into the folder and set it aside. He'd make sure the nice lady from hospital statistics got it. The door opened as he was turning back to Sharon. Two nurses stepped inside. "You were naughty, they're ganging up on you," he said.

"Actually," The nurse smiled. "We're going to get you in the shower. Your doctor said that if you can tolerate being on your feet that long without tiring yourself out too much, that we can let you go up to the fifth floor NICU."

"So we're going to kick you out," the other one stated, looking at Andy. "While we've got you up, we'll change your bed. Your family can come back in when we're done."

Andy looked at Sharon. "That sounds like a fantasy come true. You and two hot nurses in a shower. Can you make them let me stay?"

Her eyes narrowed. Sharon pushed him away. "You're horrible. Why do I love you?"

"Because I grew on you like your own personal Flynn-Fungus." He stood up from the bed with a crooked grin. "I'm going to go back upstairs. I don't want to leave him alone for too long." He leaned over and kissed her. "I'll keep a spot warm for you. So hurry up already."

"Well get out of here and I will," she drawled back. Sharon gripped his chin and kissed him once more. Then she pushed him away from her. "Tell our son that I'll see him soon."

Andy flashed a grin back at her. "I'll tell him again, but he's getting impatient. I think he gets it from his old man."

"Obviously." Sharon watched him leave. Her gaze turned back to the nurses. "Okay, let's do this," she said. It was going to hurt, just laying there she was in pain. It didn't matter, she wanted out of that bed. The sooner that happened, the sooner she could see her son.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

It had been two hours and Andy was considering going back down to check on Sharon when a soft gasp drew his attention. He turned and found her seated in a wheelchair near the entrance. Her eyes were not on him, however, but on the tiny creature in the incubator beside him. Andy pushed out of the chair he was seated in and strode over to take possession of the wheelchair from the nurse. "Okay, so it looks kind of scary, but they promise me he's doing great." He pushed her over and parked her in front of the incubator.

She was in the pale blue pajamas and matching robe that he packed for her. They had disconnected her IV, but left the port in place, something he noticed when she lifted trembling fingers to her mouth. He watched the tears pool in her eyes and reached out to tuck a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. The damp locks were swept up into a ponytail, not a look he had ever seen on her, but simple and easy. Without makeup he could see the lines around her eyes and mouth, made more prominent by the drawn appearance. The freckles he found so cute were standing out in stark contrast to her pale complexion.

Andy lowered himself to the chair he recently occupied and let his hand rest against the back of her neck. His thumb stroked the side of her neck. "He's four and a half pounds, and he's having just a little bit of trouble breathing on his own, so they've got the tube going, but they didn't have to use a ventilator, which I'm told is really great." Facts, she dealt better with facts, Andy knew.

"He's so tiny," She whispered. Sharon reached through the side of the incubator and let her finger trace the side of his small head. She drew a shuddering breath and held it as her thumb stroked a tiny cheek. They had an oxygen tube taped beneath his nose, there was an IV attached to one tiny heel, and as her gaze swept over him, she noticed just how fragile his little body seemed. There were monitors affixed to his chest, which rose and fell rapidly. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. "He's so still," she murmured. "He's never this still."

"Yeah, he's napping right now. He was mad as hell a little while ago." Andy leaned toward her and pressed his lips against the side of her head. "Naturally, he'll be good for you. He was having a right tantrum when I got back up here a couple of hours ago. Kicking and screaming his little head off. I think he was pissed I left. He's already spoiled, and barely even a day old."

"I think he's earned the right," she whispered. "I'd be a little upset too." Her finger traced the length of his arm until she found the tiny hands. When his hand curled around the tip of her finger a tear rolled down her cheek. Her thumb stroked the length of his fingers. Sharon leaned her head against Andy's and sighed. "He looks like Ricky." Her son who looked nothing like his father and everything like her father and brothers.

"I guess." Andy couldn't say, he hadn't seen any of the baby pictures. "I only see you." His hand stroked up and down her back. "I'll get the doctor for you."

When he started to rise, she stopped him. "No." Sharon's free hand reached out and settled on his knee. "I asked the nurse to do it. Stay. Please." Her lips trembled again while another tear rolled slowly down her cheek. "We're doing this together, right?"

His hand stroked over her hair. She'd had time between when he saw her earlier and now to be frightened and emotional. He was reminded that she was still hormonal and that the entire experience would have been so many levels of traumatic. If he was still reeling from it he could only imagine what Sharon was going through. "Yeah, we are." He kissed the side of her head again. His thumb swept across her cheek, smoothing away the tears. "So then let's make the introduction okay?" He leaned as close as their two chairs would allow and let his arm move around her shoulders. "Joey, meet your mom. Don't tell her what I said about the whole finding ways around the rulebook thing, she gets a little weird about it."

As Andy spoke, she watched Joey draw his legs up. Her son's head turned, but he didn't entirely awaken. It was as if he heard him, and knew the sound of his voice. She supposed that he would, Andy had been in his life since almost the beginning. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and gave a watery smile at the interaction. "Okay, lesson number one," she cast a warm, affectionate look at the man beside her. "Never listen to your father's opinion on rules, Joey. Trouble is his middle name, and how it always manages to find him, I'll never know." The baby's hand flexed around her finger.

"Lesson number two," Andy drawled, "Mom is not always right about the amount of trouble that your old man gets into. It's rarely even my fault. That honor goes to your Uncle Provenza." He grinned when he heard Sharon's soft giggle. He glanced at her and she was watching the baby again. "Where are the kids?"

"I sent them home." Her eyes flickered toward him, but only for a moment. "They're both exhausted. They've seen me and their brother, I wanted them to get some sleep and something to eat besides hospital food. They'll both be back in the morning. I promised one of us would call them if anything happened."

"I imagine they were hard to convince." He had tried, a couple of times. "Lesson number three, son. Mom is as stubborn as they come. Pick your arguments, but you're probably going to lose anyway."

"Lesson number four," Sharon said softly. "Dad often puts his foot in it, but it's usually adorable when he realizes it so we'll forgive him most of the time."

"Flynn?"

The unfamiliar voice interrupted them. Sharon looked up and over her shoulder. "Here," she stated.

"Mrs. Flynn, I'm Doctor Andrews, I'm the neonatologist in charge of your son's care…" He trailed off when they looked at each other and the woman laughed. "I'm sorry, did I say something—"

"We're not married," Andy said. "But now he's gone and put all kinds of ideas in my head." The grin he flashed at her was wide, and his eyes sparkled deviously.

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Behave." She smiled up at the doctor. "It's Raydor, actually, and that's okay. I can understand the confusion." She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "So tell me, what are we facing here."

"My apologies." He looked between them before he focused on the mother. "I won't lie, your son is going to be with us for a little while. He was thirty-three weeks, and that's good for a premature delivery. It gives us a lot to work with. He's retaining body heat, and he's waking and sleeping on his own. We've run tests and found that his neural and digestive development are good. There shouldn't be any setbacks there. Feeding will be a learning process for him, so don't be concerned if he isn't able to nurse, but we're going to teach him how to swallow. That's not a problem. Our concern, as you may be aware, is the lung function." He paused to let them take all of that in. The mother paled, but he was accustomed to that. "They weren't fully developed, but we're treating him for that too. We're giving him a steroid cocktail that is going to help with the development. Right now your son is doing well, he's strong, and he's responding to medications and oxygen. He's going to be prone to infection, though, so we're going to keep a very close eye on him."

Sharon looked at Andy again. Her hand cupped his cheek. Their little boy was going to have such a long road. She smiled weakly before she turned her attention back to the doctor. "When can I hold him?" That was the most prevalent question on her mind, second only to his health.

"Right now." The doctor waved a nurse over. "As long as he keeps responding well, and doesn't show any signs of illness or distress, he can leave the incubator for short periods. He needs to know that you're here. It helps, believe me."

They watched as the side of the incubator was lowered. The monitors and IV tubing were carefully arranged as the doctor lifted the tiny boy out. He handed him to the nurse, who had a sterile receiving blanket ready. She folded it around him, careful of the wires and tubing.

"Oh." Air left her lungs in a rush as he was laid in her arms. He was half the size that Ricky had been when she had him. Her eight pound baby now seemed like a little giant compared to this tiny creature. The rest of the world faded away. She saw and heard nothing else but the little boy in her arms. His little head was barely as large as her palm. Moisture pooled in her eyes again when his mouth opened in what could have been a yawn. He made a small, mewling sound, and then his eyes fluttered open. Joey kicked his legs toward her and Sharon chuckled quietly. "Yes, that's more like it."

As he watched her, Andy realized that he was wrong. Seeing her earlier was nothing compared to this. She seemed to relax, not completely, but by degrees as the baby settled into her arms. He leaned toward her and let his finger trace one of the boy's cheeks. His lips brushed her ear. "Look what you did," he whispered.

"No." Sharon looked at him. She didn't think that they would have made it this far without him. He had been there for her, providing support and helping in ways that she would never be able to fully catalogue or repay. "Look at what _we_ did," she corrected. "We might not have created him together, but you were there. Even before the insanity started, you were there for both of us. You made a choice, and in light of all of the crazy and horrible, and absolutely chaotic things that have happened, you stuck by it. I don't care what your ex-wife says about you, or what your children have been led to think, I think that makes you a very good man, and an even better father."

His hand cupped her cheek. He swept away a tear with his thumb. He felt his heart turn over and clench in his chest. He didn't think that he could love her more than he did, and yet he was astounded by how she saw him. Andy shook his head, unable to speak. He looked down at the baby in her arms. "Lesson number five," he said roughly, "mom gets emotional and it's best to just let her have her way."

When his chin rested against her shoulder, Sharon leaned her head against his. "I didn't mean to say it earlier. I wasn't thinking. I was worried and frustrated and lost in the moment." She glanced sideways at him. "I mean it now. I love you, Andy." She shook her head. "I didn't think I'd feel that way again. I don't know when it happened, or how, or if I was just too wrapped up in all the drama to realize it. Be patient with me. Don't give up?"

His lips brushed the corner of her mouth. "Not a chance in hell of that happening." He cupped the top of Joey's head with one hand, but the other he lay against her neck. His thumb stroked the curve of her ear. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. I love you. Where else am I going to be? You're my best friend."

"Hm." Her lips curved. Her attention shifted back to the baby in her arms. "Lesson number six. Your dad knows how to say the sweetest things." With Andy beside her she felt some of the ache in her chest recede. She would not be able to relax fully until they could take him home, but having her child in her arms, and the man she loved beside her helped.


	14. Chapter 14

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

Andy had known that Sharon would most likely be discharged from the hospital before Joey. He tried to prepare himself for that reality, but there was nothing that could prepare him for Sharon in full maternal mode. She wouldn't leave. Reason and logic still worked on her, however, and when reminded that she would be no good to Joey if she was sick, Sharon agreed that they would stay with him in shifts. He wouldn't be left alone. She would go home to rest and shower, while Andy stayed behind with Joey.

They were seeing each other in passing, overlapping moments as one of them arrived and the other prepared to leave. For those moments when they were not allowed in the NICU, the waiting room had become a second home. After only a few days, Sharon sent Emily and Ricky back to school. Her children protested, but they had papers and exams; the semester was coming to an end and she would not allow them to sacrifice all of the hard work that had already been put into it.

For ten days they existed in that fashion. Exhausted and concerned, but also very determined. Joey continued to get stronger. He was learning to suck and swallow, and he was being taught to keep breathing with little intervention. Joey was doing very well. He was at the cusp of being a late term preemie, big enough and strong enough to retain his body weight and getting stronger each and every day.

On the tenth day the oxygen tube was removed. An apnea monitor remained in his isolette, but Joey had stopped gasping for air and no longer stopped breathing at regular intervals. He was breathing well on his own, although he still required close monitoring. On the eleventh day, Andy met Sharon in the waiting room as he prepared to take over Joey-Watch for the evening. He carried a bag from their favorite restaurant, and two bottles of juice from a vending machine on the first floor.

Although she protested, Andy drew her away from the waiting room. He took her downstairs with him to the grassy courtyard out front of the hospital. He sat her down and then placed a tin container in her hands. The spinach ravioli was her favorite.

She rolled her eyes at him as he opened a bottle of juice and placed it in her hand. "What is this?" Her brow arched. "I am eating, you know. I haven't stopped taking care of myself just because my son is still in the hospital." The smile that she gave him was both indulgent and affectionate.

"I know." He sat sideways on the bench beside her. The bag was between them. He pulled out a salad for himself and grinned. "It just occurred to me, I've never taken you out on an actual date. So here you go. It's a picnic, and we can call it a date." He reached over and touched his juice bottle to hers.

"Oh?" Her brows lifted. Her eyes sparkled brightly. "So a quick meal outside a hospital is your idea of a great first date?" Sharon laughed. She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and giggled. "Really thought this one through, did you?"

"Hey." He frowned at her. "Don't judge me. This is a great first date." Andy smirked as he picked through his salad and speared a piece of cucumber. "What kind of first date do you think two people who already have a kid together should have? I've already seen you naked, you should just be glad I'm still buying you dinner." When she snorted and started laughing again, he fought a grin. It was good to see her cheeks flush with color and her eyes light up with happiness that was not tinged with worry or fear. Andy shoved the cucumber in his mouth and winked at her.

"You are, without a doubt, the biggest goofball I have ever met," Sharon decided. She crossed her legs and leaned back on the bench. She held the container in her hand and peeled open the top. When he handed her a plastic fork, she shook her head at him. "So what really prompted this? Am I so horrible to be around lately?"

Her eyes were still sparkling at him. Andy chuckled. "No, not at all. Frankly I think the second shift nursing staff could use a little of the Darth Raydor experience. You've been as patient as anyone in this situation can be. I don't think we knew how hard it would be. We see it on TV and we hear about it, but nothing prepares you for living it. You needed a break," he explained. "Even if it's only for a few minutes."

"What about you," she asked. "When do you get to take a break?" Sharon tilted her head at him. He looked just as tired and drawn as she did. They were both operating on too little sleep, but he had gone back to work. He was spending most of his day looking for murderers, all of his nights keeping an eye on their son, and sleeping whenever he could find a spare moment to do so. "I'm worried about you," she admitted. "You're spending all of your time taking care of Joey and I. When do you take care of yourself?"

"I'm good." He offered her a smile. "Really, Sharon, it's not an issue. I'm taking care of myself too, and being here is where I belong. It's what I need to do." He was going to meetings, and while he was sleep deprived, his body and mind were both still functioning.

"Hm." Sharon reached over and touched his arm. She studied him for just a moment longer before she drew away to concentrate on her meal. "Emily is graduating from graduate school in two weeks," she said after a moment. "What kind of mother am I that I'm really weighing the sacrifices of staying or going?"

"The kind that just had a baby and major surgery." Andy shook his head at her. "You know, I think you get a pass on this one. I think Emily is going to understand, Sharon." He arched a brow at her. "You've been to every graduation, every recital, every major performance. Your parents are going. Ricky is flying out there for it too. She's going to have family with her, Sharon."

"Yes, but I'm her mother." She stabbed her fork into her pasta and sighed. "Her father has never been to a single graduation or recital, or performance. I'm the only one that my kids have ever really had. It isn't even like I'm missing a performance of Swan Lake, which I've seen her dance more than once. This is her college graduation. It's her Masters degree. Then she's off to New York a few weeks after that."

"What do you want to do, Sharon?" Andy stared at her. He could see her weighing her options and trying to find a workable solution. He didn't like the idea of putting her on a plane, even three weeks after having surgery. "The way I see it, there are only two choices here. You stay or you go. For what it's worth, I think it's too soon."

She rolled her eyes at that. "I had a baby, Andy. I didn't get shot or have a stroke. It was a baby. It wasn't my first, although I am a little relieved it's the last. Doing this at our age is hard enough without it happening again." With the trauma and the damage, the scarring from the abruption and cesarean, she wouldn't be able to get pregnant again.

She was grinning at him again and that just made Andy sigh. "You almost died, Sharon. You almost died having that baby." He looked away. He lowered his salad to the bench beside him and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He let his hands clench into fists. "It's not like when you had Ricky twenty-two years ago. You didn't have a c-section because Joey was breach. You almost bled to death, and if that wasn't enough, we almost lost Joey in the process. No, you didn't just have a baby. Dammit."

Her brow arched. A corner of her mouth quirked up. "I wondered where that temper had gone." She leaned closer on the bench and curled a hand around one of his. "Look at me, Andy." When he didn't, she set her lunch on the bench between them and placed her other hand beneath his chin and turned his face toward her. "I'm right here. I'm okay. I'm not dying, nor am I in any danger of dying. I know that night was terrifying, and I'm not trying to make light of it. The fact still remains. I had a baby and I'm getting stronger everyday." Her body was still mildly sore, the incision site was still tender, but it was healing, as was she.

He returned her gaze. Andy saw the decision in them before she even voiced it. "You're going to Illinois for the graduation." He sighed again and shook his head. Andy looked away from her and let his gaze fall to his hands.

"Yes." Sharon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think… I think it will be okay." The idea of it terrified her, leaving Joey behind while he was still so tiny. "I can go for the night. You'll be here, and if anything happens, I can fly right back. I don't think that it will. In two weeks, if he keeps doing as well as he is now, Joey is going to graduate to the NICU nursery. He's not in the incubator anymore, and by then he'll be off most of the monitors. You'll be here. It'll be okay. He'll be fine."

She didn't sound convinced. Andy slanted a look at her. He picked up the food that sat on the bench between them and moved it to his other side. "Come here." His hand circled her arm. He drew Sharon against his side and curled an arm around her. He felt her tremble. It wasn't an easy decision to make. She was trying so hard to make the right one, and to be there for both of her children, the youngest as well as the oldest. "I'll be here." He turned his face into her hair. "I'll be with him the whole time. It's just for the night."

"Not even that if I plan it well." She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. "The ceremony should be early enough in the day, I could catch a flight back afterward. I could go, watch it, and be right back here before Joey even realizes that I'm missing."

"You could do that." He stroked her hair. "You could do exactly that. Watch your daughter graduate from college and be home a few hours later. It would be no different than going home at night to sleep. It's a few hours, tops."

"Except if anything happens, I can't just drive across town." She sighed. Sharon leaned her head against his shoulder. "I hate this."

"I know." He pressed his lips against her hair. "We'll make it work. Either way, we'll figure something out. Even if that means Ricky is on Skype for the ceremony. We'll make sure that you see it, and we'll make sure that Emily knows you're there."

"Even though you absolutely hate the idea?" She lifted her head to smile at him. "I know you're not happy about this."

"I'm not." Andy shrugged. "You're right. I absolutely hate it. I don't like the thought of you flying halfway across the country less than a month after having major surgery. But if it's what you have to do to be there for your kids, then you have to do it. I don't have to like it, Sharon. Doesn't mean I won't still be here." Her uncertainty made him sigh and his shoulders clench. "I'm not Jack. I don't walk off when the situation gets too complicated or tough. I'm not going to leave you just because we disagree."

"Have I ever compared you to Jack?" Sharon lifted her head and stared at him. "Andy, I have never once said, insinuated, or thought that you were anything like my ex-husband." Her eyes flashed at just the idea. The two men had similar histories but they could not be any more different.

"No you haven't," he said. "But you're waiting for me to leave you. It's at the back of your mind. There's a part of you that is still expecting the other shoe to drop and for me to cut my losses and get out while I can. I don't know how many times, or how many different ways I can tell you that I'm not going anywhere. I'm in this. I am here. Hell!" He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. He glared down at her, frustration filling him, pushing at the seams of his control. "I don't think I've ever met a single other woman that can annoy the hell out of me quite like you can."

"Why wouldn't you?" Her voice dropped an octave as she stood up to face him. "Any sane man would. Look at us, Andy. Look at what's happened in the last few months. You have to admit that all of this has moved at an incredibly fast pace. There is no reason at all that we should even be together. We've hardly gotten along over the years, and now, suddenly, we're going to be raising a child together? A child that isn't even—"

"Do _not_." He glared at her. His dark eyes flashed as he took a step forward. "He has my name, and in all the ways that matter, he's mine. He may not be my blood, but he is my son. You can question us as much as you want, but I won't let you question that." Andy shook his head at her. "What is this? Why are you questioning this now? Why are you questioning us at all? You know that I love you."

"Of course I know that," she said more softly. "Andy, I'm not questioning you." She took a step forward and laid a hand against his chest. "This entire situation and how quickly it has moved, you have to admit that it's a little unsettling. I never expected to find you. You snuck up on me. A few months ago I was still hoping that my husband would come home and we would figure out a way to make having a baby together at this stage in our lives work. There was a part of me that thought we might just get to have the life that he denied us when our older children were growing up. Then all of a sudden there you were. I didn't want to need you. I didn't want to _want_ you. Every instinct I had was telling me to run toward you instead of away, and that just… it terrifies me," she whispered. "This idea of us together, raising this child, it's absurd. But I've never wanted anything more and I don't know what to do with that. I don't know what to do with any of this. Reason tells me to be careful, to take a step back and be more cautious about it all. It could be hormones and sleep deprivation. It could just be the fact that I'm still so terrified that I'm going to lose him, but I go home every night and when I lay down all I want is you there with me."

Andy pushed his hands into the thick curtain of her hair and tipped her head back. She was tired, and she was frightened, and she was right, there were hormones at play in how she was feeling and responding. He didn't expect that their relationship or finding their way forward would be easy. They weren't simple or _easy_ people. "I don't like it either," he said. "Not having you with me. You know, I wake up terrified that this is the dream, that you died that night, and I lost both of you. I've had some moments, and they weren't exactly great. I know what it was to feel you slipping away from me and that's not a place I ever want to go again."

"Andy…" She whispered his name. Her hands curled in the front of his shirt as she leaned into him. She could only imagine his terror, she didn't remember much of it herself. That night was lost to her after he placed her in his car.

"No," he said, "Let me say this." She had worn makeup today, but he could still see the tired circles beneath her eyes, and beneath her carefully applied foundation, she was pale. He could make out the freckles that stood out on her nose. "I didn't want to like you. When I realized that I wanted you, I felt like a first rate ass. You don't need me, I'm just another drunk that screwed up his life. The last thing that you needed was some idiot chasing after you like a horny frat-boy with a crush. You know what Vicki said when I told her about Joey? She told me not to screw it up again. That's the part here that scares the hell out of me. I'm going to screw it up, or you're going to come to your senses and realize just how bad for you I am. I should walk away. That thought has crossed my mind a dozen different times. I can't. I started needing to be with you. I tried not to love you. I fought like hell against it, but you got inside my head, and then you got inside my heart." A muscle in his jaw ticked. Andy shook his head. "I'm not leaving you. If we have to slow this down, if that's what you need to make this work for us, then we can slow it down, Sharon. We can pull back as far as you need, but I'm not going to stop loving you."

"I don't think we can move much slower than hardly seeing one another." She lifted her hands to curl around his wrists. Sharon's thumbs stroked the inside of each one. "I'm just as worried that you'll come to your senses. You're going to wake up one day and realize that I'm just this difficult, nagging rulebook on legs that can be cold and—"

"That's him talking." Andy lowered his head until their mouths were almost touching. "You are difficult, and you do like your rulebook a little too much." His lips brushed hers, it was hardly a caress and less than a kiss. "Cold? No. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You're warm. You love hard, and you love completely. I've seen it, it's the way that you look at Joey, and how you looked at the other two when they were here. Sharon, it was in the pain that was in your eyes every time that we talked about Jack. You'd have taken him back, even as badly as he hurt you, you still would have found a way to make it work. There's nothing cold about that. I know I'm lucky to have you. I know how badly he hurt you, but everyday I'm thankful that he threw you away. I'm thankful that I got the chance."

She gave him a watery smile. "Only you, Andy Flynn, could make _I__'__m glad your husband dumped you so I could have shot_ actually sound kind of sweet." She tipped her face toward him, let their lips connect. The kiss lingered, soft, but filled with meaning. "I'm sorry that I made you think I doubted you. I don't. It's the situation. It's the timing."

"It's the hormones." He watched her cheeks color and her lips curve upward. "I'd be more worried if you didn't have a lot of crazy going on in your head. Thing is, I get it. We moved fast, damned fast, when you think about it. But we've known each other for awhile, and we're not kids. That's got to count for something. There's no way for us to know what's going to happen in a month, or a year, or ten years. Maybe we'll make it, and maybe we won't. Right now, that's all we've got. It's all I know how to live for."

"It sounds more than reasonable to me," she said quietly. "I can't imagine approaching this any other way. I know it's going to be difficult. I don't imagine that any relationship would necessarily be easy, and we aren't exactly approaching a downhill run. I just really hope you'll still be with me when I finally make it to the bottom."

"So do I." His nose nuzzled her cheek as their lips touched again. He could make promises, but they both knew that life didn't always follow the dictates of the people living it. Anything could happen, and they could both lose their way. But he would love her. That much he knew to be true. It wasn't a feeling that would be going away anytime soon.

"So then," she said softly, "If I'm finished having my total girl freakout, maybe we could finish our date?"

"Yeah, I think so." He held onto her for another moment, however. "If that counts as a fight, I'm going to question our timing."

Sharon laughed. She dropped her forehead against his chest and giggled quietly. "No making up." Not for several more weeks. The perils of being in a relationship and having a baby. "Yes, our timing does leave something to be desired." She tipped her head back and smiled up at him. "I think we'll just have to raincheck it.

"I'm going to hold you to that." His dark eyes glittered. He dropped another kiss to her lips before pulling her back to the bench. This time, he drew her into his lap and let his arm circle her waist. "Now," he said, "tell me what I missed today…" It had been hours since he'd seen Joey, and no milestone was just too small or would go without being shared.


	15. Chapter 15

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

The house was silent. Odd for it being just after noon and there being two cars in the driveway. Emily wasn't expecting the silence that greeted her as she let herself into her childhood home. She had a large duffel drawn over her shoulder and was pulling another large suitcase behind her. The rest of her things she had shipped from Illinois, and they would arrive in another few days. Emily left both of her bags in the foyer as she walked into the house. It was on the tip of her tongue to call out to her mother, but some instinct stopped her. She looked around instead.

The interior of the house was dark. Only a single lamp illuminated the living room and it was positioned in the far corner of the room. It provided only the slightest bit of light. The drapes were closed, and she found that odd. Her mother never left the drapes closed, she liked natural light. Emily moved to the stairs and looked up them while craning her head to hear for any sound. After a few minutes she realized that she did hear _something_. There was snoring coming from the sofa.

She walked further into the room while her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. On the sofa she found her mother's boyfriend. Andy was leaning back, head resting against the cushioned back of the sofa while his feet were propped on the coffee table. His mouth was hanging open and he was snoring quietly. Well, perhaps not so quietly, but it wasn't like the sounds that one normally heard on television that indicated the house could fall down at any minute. Emily pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from giggling quietly. She leaned against the back of the couch and looked down. Her mother was curled beside him, her head on his thigh, and her arm draped across his lap. Her hand was hanging loosely on the other side of him.

Emily walked around the edge of the sofa and folded her arms across her chest. She looked down at both of them. They appeared to be completely done in. Neither of them looked as though they would be moving anytime soon, weeks worth of exhaustion had caught up with them. She shook her head as another sound drew her attention. Emily walked over to the coffee table and gazed into the cradle beside it. Joey was laying on his back, wide-eyed and cooing quietly. He was kicking his legs and pumping his arms as he explored his new environment.

He was home. Emily looked at her watch, she didn't think it had been a full forty-eight hours yet. Her mother had called her with the good news that he was being released earlier in the week. She said that she wasn't changing her plans, she would still be getting on a plane Saturday morning and would arrive in plenty of time to attend the graduation ceremonies. There was a flight out later in the evening, and she was scheduled to be on it. It would put her back in Los Angeles around eight in the evening. Plenty of time to get home and relieve Andy so he could get some much needed rest, and maybe they could have dinner together.

She didn't sound confident about leaving Joey at home. Much less confident than she felt about leaving him in the hospital. Emily discussed it with her grandmother. Her nana had laughed, good and hard, about the idea of her mother leaving Joey at home alone with his father. Apparently there was a difference in leaving him in the hospital, surrounded by doctors and nurses. With Joey coming home, there would be a new sense of fear. It was normal for her to not want to be separated from him. She was a new mother, but coupled with the fact that Joey had been born prematurely and had spent the previous three weeks in the hospital NICU, it was only natural that she would be paranoid at the idea of being separated from him.

When Emily thought about it, and everything that her family had been through that year, especially her mother, she just couldn't see putting her through that kind of separation. Sure, it was only for a few hours, but it would be more than a thousand miles, and if anything did happen - not that anyone thought it would, but if it did happen it wasn't as if she could get right back. Emily also realized that the whole process of walking across a stage to get her diploma wasn't really for her. It was for all the people who had stood beside and behind her while she earned it. If having her there was going to cause her mother fear or pain, she wasn't going to do it. She wasn't going to have her be there and she wasn't going to make her feel guilty about missing it. Emily decided she just wouldn't do the whole graduation thing at all. She had her grandparents and brother cancel their flight reservations. Instead of flying out to Illinois at the end of the week, Ricky would be driving home.

Her grandmother worried that she would regret the decision. Emily didn't think that was true. Standing in her mother's living room, seeing how utterly exhausted she was, she was sure that she had done the right thing. It wasn't like when she got her Bachelors. Her mother was there for that. She sat in the audience with Ricky and their grandparents, and all of them applauded. The family had gone to dinner, and there had been happy tears and laughter. She knew that her mother was proud of her. She didn't need another ceremony.

Emily smiled as she bent over the cradle. "Hi baby," she whispered. She lifted her brother into her arms, thankful for those summers she spent babysitting as a teenager for extra cash because her mother wouldn't raise her allowance just so she could by new Chanel heels. He was much bigger than the last time she saw him. A healthy six pounds, her mother told her, and finally deemed well enough to come home. He was breathing, eating, and growing just exactly as he should. She cradled him in her arms and smiled down at his wide-eyed expression.

Emily carried the baby to one of the wide arm chairs and sank into it. She folded her legs beneath her and held the baby in front of her as she got a good look at him for the first time since just days after his birth. "I think you did them in, Joey." She looked up and took in the general disarray of the room. It wasn't overly messy, but it was cluttered with baby paraphernalia. "Look at mom, she's out cold." She continued to whisper and coo at him as she pulled her phone out and snapped a picture of the two passed out adults on the sofa. "I'm going to send it to their cranky Lieutenant friend, yes I am."

She bounced the baby in her arms when he started to fuss. He didn't know who she was, and while he might be used to strangers holding him, he was also in a new place. His soft mewls soon turned to low cries, and those even began to grow in volume.

Andy nudged Sharon's shoulder. "He's awake." He yawned widely and kept his eyes closed. He was in that place where he could easily drift right back to sleep.

"Yes." She gave his leg a pat. "The diapers are over there." She wriggled back from him and curled around a throw pillow.

"He's hungry. That's all you." He reached down to pat her shoulder, then gave her a gentle nudge toward the baby.

She sighed, but it quickly morphed into a yawn. "We'll both get up. You get the diaper, I'll do the feeding."

"Yeah." While Sharon sat up, he let his feet drop from the coffee table and leaned forward. His back and neck ached from how he had been sitting.

A soft giggle came from a corner of the living room. "Wow, you really did do them in, Joey. Where's the enthusiasm guys?" She smirked at them. "What's going to happen when you get a routine going? Hey kid, there's the bottle, feed yourself?"

Sharon's head snapped up. Her eyes widened. She reached over to turn on the lamp beside the sofa. She winced when Andy swore at the sudden brightness. She touched his leg as she rose. "Sorry." Her gaze quickly returned to her daughter, who was seated nearby holding her baby brother. "Emily, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at school, getting ready for graduation."

"I'm not going." Emily grinned at them and offered a shrug. "They're mailing my diploma. I didn't really care enough to walk during the ceremonies. I mean, I would have only done it for you, but this is where you need to be right now, mom." She stood up and carried the baby over. "Rough couple of days?"

"You could call it that." Andy ran a hand over his face and into his hair. He stood up and retrieved a fresh diaper and then took the baby out of the younger woman's arms. Andy settled him against his chest. "He doesn't sleep."

"We're getting used to a new environment and trying to find a routine," Sharon waved a hand through the air. "It's going to take some getting used to, that's normal with a new baby."

"It doesn't help that your mother won't leave him in a room by himself yet." Andy smirked where he sat, changing the baby's diaper.

"Says he who suggested that we sleep down here, since the cradle is here, and we'll be able to hear him if he starts having trouble breathing?" Sharon cast a pointed look at him.

Emily laughed again. "Sounds like you're both having issues." She walked around the coffee table and met her mother halfway, an embrace at the ready. "I missed you."

"Me too, baby." Sharon held her tightly. "Emily, you don't have to miss graduation. It's not too late, we can still go. It's important to you."

"No." She shrugged. "Not really. I mean, finishing graduate school was important, but the ceremony isn't. We'll celebrate here, just the family, if you want to. Joey just came home from the hospital, Mom. You don't want to leave him at home alone with Andy. I get it."

"What? Hey." Andy looked up and scowled at both of them. "Joey and I got this handled." He lifted the baby against his chest and held him there, one hand beneath his bottom, the other cradling his head. "We're just two good looking guys, hanging out. I don't see what the big deal is." When a warm, wet spot began to spread across the front of his shirt he looked down. "Really. You had to do that right now? Are you kidding me, son? We talked about this. You're supposed to make me look good in front of mom."

"Oh yes. You've definitely got it under control." Sharon chuckled quietly. She walked over and lifted the baby out of his arms. "Come here my darling." She crooned softly to the fussing infant as she lifted him. She retrieved a fresh diaper and in only a matter of minutes, had the soiled one off him and a fresh one in place.

Emily laughed happily as she took the baby back while her mother washed her hands and Andy went upstairs to clean up and change. "You are the best brother ever," she told him. She cuddled him close and swayed from side to side while he continued to fuss. She didn't think, when her mother told her about all of this, that she would be able to wrap her head around having another sibling, especially one so much younger than she and Ricky. She was wrong, he was adorable.

"Don't let Ricky hear you say that." Sharon shook her head as she strode back into the room. She drew a blanket over her shoulder and reached for the baby again. She curled in a corner of the sofa and rested her arm on a pillow as she settled Joey at her breast and covered herself with the blanket.

"I'm going to make some coffee." Andy trotted down the stairs, but stopped at the sofa to lean over its back. He pressed a kiss against Sharon's mouth. "You, you're in trouble," he teased, pointing at the baby.

"How many shirts is that now?" Sharon's eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. "We're going to have to do laundry soon, or send you home for more."

"No kidding." He leaned against the back of the couch. "Are you hungry? I think we've got leftovers."

"Those are questionable." Sharon's nose wrinkled. "Why don't you order something, Emily, honey, have you eaten?"

"No, I came straight here from the airport." She pushed out of her chair. "I'll make the coffee. What would you guys like? I can call something in. You should sit down." She smirked at Andy. "I think you're falling asleep standing there."

"Funny," he said. "Thinks she's a comedian, just like her mother." He rolled his eyes at her, but pushed up from the back of the sofa and walked around to slump onto it again. He and Sharon were running on two days of very little sleep and both of them were exhausted. He reached for Sharon's legs and pulled them across his lap. His hands found her feet and began to gently knead. His head rolled agains the sofa and he looked at her. "Was it this hard when we were doing this twenty years ago?"

She hummed quietly. "I don't recall it being this hard, no." She smiled at him and reached over to brush her fingers through his tousled hair. "Do you mind terribly that Emily is home early?"

"Are you kidding me?" He made a face at her. "No, and it's your house, so it wouldn't matter if I did. Frankly, best idea anyone's ever had, coming home to keep you from flying across the country. Remind me to get her a really great graduation gift."

A soft laugh rumbled in her throat. "Andy, you don't have to buy my daughter a gift. I'm a little worried though." She cast a concerned look toward the kitchen, where her daughter was making coffee and calling in a lunch order. "I can't imagine having walked out of my college graduation at her age. It was such an important event."

"She's a smart girl, Sharon." His hand stroked her calf. "She knows what is important to her. At twenty-five, your mother hadn't almost died giving birth to your baby brother, who was newly home from the hospital." He flashed a grin at her. "She's a good girl. We'll put something together for her. It'll be good."

"We?" She smiled brightly at him. "So we're a _we_ now?" Her brows lifted. "Even when it concerns _my_ kids which are not _your_ kids. I'm not talking about the one that is _our _kid either."

He arched a brow at her. Andy leaned over to press a kiss to her mouth. "I'm sure that made sense in your head, but the translation left something to be desired," he rumbled quietly, teasingly. "Yeah, we're a _we_. You and me. With your kids, my kids, and our kid." He paused and his lips pursed. "Okay, your kids and our kid. My kids aren't too happy about the whole new baby brother thing yet."

"They'll come around." She reached out and rubbed his arm. He had been absent for so much of their lives that she could understand where they would be a bit hesitant at the thought of sharing him with a new sibling. "Andy, maybe if you told them the truth they would understand. It might be easier for them to see just how wonderful you are if they knew that you had basically adopted Joey." It wasn't quite that official, but his name was on the birth certificate, and to take it off, they would have to petition a court and have a paternity test done. Legally, he was now Joey's father, but he was already his father in all the ways that mattered.

"No." His hands went back to massaging her legs and ankles. They'd discussed this before and he was no closer to budging this time than he was the first time it was brought up. "My relationship with my family is rocky enough. I won't give them something to use to hurt him with because they're angry at me. I'm not going to give anyone any ammunition to throw up into Joey's face later and tell him that he's not my kid. I don't think Nicole or Charlie would do that, but I can't speak for anyone else. We'll just keep trying, Sharon. They'll come around or they won't."

"So then…" Sharon leaned toward him, the baby still cradled to her chest. "What you're saying is that we're a _we_?"

A low laugh rumbled through the room. "Yeah, you're evil highness, that's what I'm saying. Way to point out the little nuances there, Sharon."

"It's what I do." Her eyes sparkled happily at him. "I need to stay in practice. We don't want me going back to work in a couple of months and not being able to see through every single one of the flimsy excuses I get from Major Crimes on a daily basis, do we?"

"When you put it that way," he dead panned. "That is exactly what we want—" He trailed off with a laugh when she smacked his shoulder. "No violence while you're holding my son. Save it for the bedroom, honey."

"I do not want to know." Emily stood just inside the living room, two mugs held in her hands. "If this is some odd kind of foreplay, I don't need to be witness to it. I'd rather not, actually. Furthermore, I'm somewhat disturbed to have to remind you that you shouldn't be engaging in such acts anyway since she just had a baby, but apparently, I also have to remind you that those kinds of things are exactly how you ended up with that one. Well, not the two of you exactly, but you know what I mean. No random acts of sexual behavior in the living room, okay?"

Andy's lips pursed. He looked at Sharon. "I can't take responsibility for that one. She is all yours."

"Emily, please don't be flippant and crude." Sharon shifted the baby in her arms and resettled him, getting comfortable again. "It's not polite. Specifically when there's a guest in the house."

"That's not a guest." Emily walked over with a grin. She handed Andy one of the mugs and placed the other on the end table beside her mother. "That's just your boyfriend. Although your word choice would indicate that he is _not_ currently living here. Can I assume then, that you are good enough to have a baby with my mother but not move in and help her take care of it?"

"I shall call her the mini-Raydor," Andy decided. He looked at his lover again. "This not being at work situation. Don't worry about it. We'll put her in one of your black power suits. I'll take her in with me, we'll turn her loose. No one will ever know the difference. It'll be great."

Sharon rolled her eyes at them. "Both of you behave." Her gaze moved to her daughter. "Andy is not living here because he has his own home, and this one is mine. He spends a considerable amount of time here, and I'm sure that will continue in the days to come. As to our living situation, that is none of your business my darling girl."

"Yeah well, just getting you ready for the Raydor Inquisition." Emily dropped into a chair and smirked at them. "Ricky is going to be home at the end of the week. You know he's going to have questions, and he isn't as patient as I am with the non-answer answers."

Sharon arched a brow at her, but let her head roll against the sofa so that she was looking at Andy instead. "That was Emily code for she and Ricky are going to gang up on me until I am so fed up with their constant questions that I will finally answer them, as neither believes that I can ground them anymore."

"Ah." His lips pursed. "You know something, there's a big advantage to us having our own places. We can leave them here and go crash at mine for a while. They think we're trapped but I've got an escape route."

"Now see," a smile curved her lips. "That is exactly why I love you, Andy. You have the best ideas."

"Good luck," Emily sing-songed. "It's nothing compared to the questions that Nana and Grandpa have. I just don't understand what's gotten into that girl's head, Miranda," Emily began in a much deeper voice, imitating her grandfather. "She meets some stranger and lets him give his name to our grandson, but they're not married, and we've never even met him."

"Hm." Sharon thought about it. "That should just prove for you that it doesn't matter how old you are, Emily. Your mother is still going to have a say in what you do with your life." She sighed. "I'm turning forty-eight in a couple of months, and my father is still questioning my actions." She missed them. Her parents wanted to see the baby, but at their ages, they didn't travel much anymore. She asked them to wait. She would bring Joey to them when he was big enough.

Andy had his head leaning against the back of the sofa again. He was staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. "The last time I had to sit in front of an over protective father and answer what my intentions were, I was nineteen." A slow grin curved his face. "I can't promise I won't answer truthfully this time. I'm the guy with the gun now." The gleam in his eyes was all mischief. Well, Mr. Campbell, I am particularly fond of taking off her clothes and I have every intention of doing that again—"

"Oh god." Emily leaned forward and snorted a laugh. "The look on grandpa's face would be so worth it." She drew her legs into the chair and curled them beneath her as she giggled. "I bet Nana would love it too. Oh it would be priceless. Please mom, can he?"

"Absolutely not." Sharon glowered playfully at her lover. "There will be no discussions of clothing removal or any similar activities while you are in the same room with either of my parents. In fact, I'd rather you didn't do it while any of the children are in the room either. While I'm thinking about it, just don't do it."

Emily giggled again. "That's mom, always spoiling the fun. We'll talk," she told Andy with a wink. "Now then, I didn't know what either of you wanted, so I ordered Chinese, I hope that's okay. You're a vegetarian right," she thought she remembered that from both the baby shower and her visit a few weeks before when Joey was born.

"I am," Andy nodded and smiled with approval. "Don't worry about it though. I can usually work around the meat if I have to."

"Well I ordered lo-mein and some stir fry just in case," She explained. "Mom, I got your usual."

"Thank you honey," Sharon leaned her head back and let her eyes close. It was becoming increasingly hard to keep them open.

"How about you two take a little catnap and I'll wake you when it gets here," Emily told them with a smile. "I'm going to go up and unpack."

"That's okay," Sharon yawned. "I'll just rest a minute. I'm fine."

"Take a nap," Andy drew her further down on the sofa so that her legs were still draped comfortably across his lap. "I'll keep an eye out." He stroked her legs again. "It's okay, Sharon. Rest while he's quiet."

"Just for a few minutes," she said. "Then I want to spend time with Emily."

"Just for a few minutes," he agreed. Andy would get her to sleep for as long as they could arrange. Emily would be there for her to visit with later. He was sure the daughter would understand. While one hand stroked her calf, the other stroked her upper thigh. He reached up and folded the blanket back so that he could see the baby. Joey wasn't really suckling anymore, but occasionally his little mouth would move. He traced the side of his little head, now covered with a soft down of dark hair. While he watched them both, Sharon slipped quietly and easily into a light slumber.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

When he called to say that he was only an hour out, Ricky was warned to be quiet coming in the door. The general consensus was that they didn't know if he would be asleep, but the baby _might_ be asleep, and they didn't want to risk waking him.

The first lesson that Sharon had learned, some twenty-five years before, when she was a brand new mother for the first time, was absolutely under no circumstances should a sleeping baby _ever _be awakened. After having Joey home for only four days, she was still not comfortable leaving him unattended, even with the baby video monitor and apnea detector that had been placed in his crib. She was quick to remind herself that she had not allowed either Emily or Ricky out of her sight much either, when she first brought them home from the hospital. When she factored in all of the details of his birth, she supposed that she was not overreacting where Joey was concerned.

When Ricky arrived, he found everyone gathered in the kitchen. It was nearing early evening, the drive had taken several hours and he got a later start than he'd have liked. He left his bags on the floor near the stairs, while most of the rest of his belongings remained in his car. He would unpack in the morning, he decided.

The smells permeating the air could mean only one thing. Dinner. A grin lit the twenty-two year old's face as he made his way through the house toward the kitchen at its rear. The kitchen was lit warmly and when he stepped inside, he found his mother at a counter, her boyfriend at the stove, and his sister seated at the center island. "If you tell me that's a chicken I smell baking in the oven, I'm going to love you forever."

"Ricky!" Sharon dropped the vegetables she was chopping for a salad and quickly wiped her hands before circling the kitchen to pull her son into a hug. It felt as though she hadn't seen him all year, the brief visit a few weeks before notwithstanding. There hadn't really been much opportunity for a _visit_ then. She cupped his face, and despite his groan and the rolling of his eyes, she kissed his cheek before hugging him tightly. "Oh, I've missed you," she said softly. He was still her baby.

"Yeah I know." Ricky rolled his eyes again and grinned, a bit indulgently, as he endured his mother's greeting. "Check you out, all with the waist having again." A devious smirk curved his lips as he wrapped her in a bear hug and lifted her.

Sharon's laugh as she was spun around had Andy grinning. He moved much more slowly, stopping to wash and dry his hands before he paused beside the center island where Joey was laying in his vibrating, bouncing seat. He was wide-eyed and looking around the room at all the new and different sights, sounds, and smells. He lay a hand on the baby's belly, smiling when Joey kicked his feet to make himself bounce more. Perhaps he was just biased, but the kid seemed pretty smart to be catching on to it already. He looked up when Sharon was set on her feet again and held out a hand. "Hey, Ricky."

"Andy." Ricky accepted the handshake as he stepped closer. "Hey, little ET! How's the alien dude?" He touched the baby's foot, but quickly and so lightly it might not have been real contact at all. The little guy just made him nervous. He looked all tiny and fragile. He hadn't held his brother yet, he thought maybe he'd wait until he got a little bigger.

"Ricky." Sharon rolled her eyes at her son. "Please do not call your brother an alien." She folded her arms and smiled indulgently at him. She walked over and claimed the place beside the baby as Andy moved back to the stove. "You're not an alien, are you darling?" She reached into the chair and unclipped the harness. She crooned softly as she lifted Joey into her arms. She tucked him into the crook of her arm and turned him toward Ricky. "You haven't really had a chance to meet your brother properly, have you?"

"Uh." Ricky put his hands up in front of him and took a step back. "You know, mom, maybe we'll just hold off on all that. He's cute and all, and I think you want him to stay that way."

The abject panic in her son's eyes brought a smile to her lips. "Oh Ricky, you aren't going to break him. He's a lot tougher than he looks." She lifted her brows at him and held the baby out again.

"Yeah well," Ricky sighed. "Don't blame me if I drop him on his head." He reached for the baby and held him up in front of him. "Okay. Listen. If you get traumatized by this experience, just remember, mom made me do it."

"Mind his head." Sharon cupped it, supporting it as Ricky drew the baby inward toward his shoulder. When his fingers replaced hers, she moved beside him. "It's not so bad, is it."

"Uh huh," Ricky slanted a look at her. "If he pukes on me, I'm going to tell the world that he is your alien spawn from another planet."

Sharon shook her head at him but leaned over to kiss the top of the baby's head. "If he spits up on you, I'll start his allowance now," she teased. Sharon grinned as she leaned up and drew Ricky's head down, a kiss pressed to his hair.

"God mom," he groaned. "You're such a girl sometimes." Ricky rolled his eyes at her, but grinned and endured it anyway. The baby was wriggling in his arms. Squirming too much for his liking. "Okay, he's moving." He turned toward her and leaned the baby back in her direction.

Sharon laughed as she reclaimed Joey. "It's okay," she cupped the back of his head and drew him close, her cheek pressed against the soft, dark down of hair atop his head. "He'll get used to you."

"Don't count on it." Ricky moved away. "Let's wait until he's like, five or something. Less small and squirmy and a lot more sturdy." He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over to lean against the counter beside Emily. "Hey squirt." He nudged her.

"Hey punk." She nudged him back. "You know I'm totally telling everyone that you're afraid of a bitty little baby."

He snorted at her. "Try it. Your toe shoes, in the microwave tiny."

Her eyes narrowed. "If you so much as look at those shoes, I will take your laptop and shove it—"

"Kids." Sharon looked heavenward. "That's enough." She shook her head at them and leaned back against a counter near the stove, far enough from the heat, but close enough that Andy could lean over and kiss her. She smiled against his lips. "They're together two minutes and already acting like a pair of seven year olds."

"You're loving every minute of it." He grinned knowingly at her. Andy knew that Sharon loved her kids, and she missed them terribly. Having Joey in her arms had not alleviated that ache. It couldn't.

"Hm…" She didn't disagree with him. Her eyes sparkled happily. She cuddled her littlest son closer and her nose wrinkled. "He needs a diaper. I'm going to take him upstairs."

"No, I'll do it." Andy wiped his hands on a dishtowel again and reached for the baby. "Stay, enjoy your kids. This will be okay for a few minutes," He nodded to the broth he was preparing for the rice pilaf. "Come on buddy," he lifted Joey easily out of his mother's arms.

"Thank you," Sharon smiled warmly at him. Her hand slid down his arm as he moved away with the baby. Her eyes tracked his movement until he was gone from view. When she turned back she found found both of her children watching her. "What?"

Ricky and Emily exchanged a look, but it was Ricky that tilted his head at her. "So," he said at length, "things are going well?" Mischief glittered in his dark eyes. "Rumor has it this guy is practically living here, that must indicate a certain level of… goodness."

Sharon rolled her eyes at her son. She returned to the counter where she was preparing the salad and let her attention shift back to that. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said easily. "Andy isn't living here."

"No," Emily chirped. "He really isn't. He goes home every couple of days for clean clothes, but he sleeps here every night." She smirked knowingly. "I mean, he's just spending all of his time here. When he's not at work. Or calling while at work to check on things. Or calling on his way _back_ from work to see if mom needs anything. He may or may not have a key. It's not in the least domestic, Ricky."

"I find that very interesting Emily." He hummed thoughtfully. "Let's review. He has a key." He ticked the items off on his fingers. "He sleeps here. He brings his clothes here. His kid kind of lives here." He looked at his sister. "But _he_ doesn't live here."

"That is my understanding of the situation, yes." As one they both turned back to their mother. "Mom?"

"It's still not open for discussion," she stated simply. "I have not ever, nor will I now, discuss my personal life with my children." Sharon cast a look at the pair, a single brow raised. "My personal relationships are not open for debate, discussion, or dissection. Are we clear?"

The siblings looked at one another. Emily lifted her brows at her younger brother. When he sighed, she nodded pointedly at their mother. Ricky rolled his eyes at her. "So I guess it's pretty serious then," he asked carefully.

"Of course it's serious." Sharon said, and went back to slicing fresh red bell peppers for the salad. "We have a child together. I'd say that's very serious, Ricky."

"Yeah?" The words left his mouth before he could stop them. "You have two kids with dad, and I don't see him around." When Emily elbowed him and his mother looked sharply at him, he shrugged. "I just mean that _serious_ can be subjective." He had come home the previous summer to find that his father had moved back in. He knew that before all that, his parents were talking, and that his dad had actually come back home at some point during the spring. His parents were trying to piece their marriage back together. They had seemed happy together. The morning he left to go back to school for his junior year at Stanford, his mother was fixing breakfast while his father looked on. Ricky had entered the kitchen to find his arms around her, chin resting against her shoulder. His mother had been laughing. What a far cry they were from that now.

"Okay." Emily pushed away from the counter. This was not the turn she had expected the conversation to take. "I'm just going to go and see if Andy needs helping finding the baby wipes."

"No." Sharon turned. She pinned both of her children to where they stood with a look. "I think you should stay put." She folded her arms over her chest and studied her son. She watched him shift where he stood and sighed. "Ricky, you're absolutely right. I have two children with your father, and if you want to be technical about it, there are three. That didn't stop him from leaving. Your father chose to leave. I didn't ask him to. It was a decision that he made on his own without consultation. I'm not asking you to not have a relationship with your father, that choice is yours and yours alone." She looked between the two, including both of them in that. "I wasn't looking to find a new relationship, it found me. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but the fact remains, Andy is here. It is his choice to be here. It was his choice to be a father."

"We're just worried about you," Emily said, deciding to bail her brother out. "We don't want to see you get hurt again. We know that dad hurt you, and we know you'd never stop us from speaking to him, or spending time with him. Personally, there's nothing that I want from him. I don't see that changing anytime soon. I just want to make sure, and I think Ricky agrees, that you're happy." She believed that her mother was, but at the same time, she still worried about her.

"Look mom," Ricky sighed. "It's not like I think you should ask dad to come back. I don't want to see him either. What he did was pretty crappy. I don't know if that's going to change. Maybe it will. It's just, we don't know this guy. We don't know anything about him, except he's good at putting baby furniture together and handy with some home repairs." Ricky grinned, teasing her about the stories he'd heard about Andy fixing things around the house while she was pregnant. "He was great while you were in the hospital, don't get me wrong. I think it's cool that he can forget where Joey came from. I don't know how anyone does that. So that's got to mean something. It just all seems so fast, that's all."

"It is," she said gently. Sharon leaned against the counter while she thought about it. "You're not saying anything that we haven't thought about or discussed. Ricky, this was never meant to happen. We were friends. Very good friends, and that was surprising on its own. Finding something more than that was a complete shock to both of us. I understand that both of you are worried, and I get that this is something of an adjustment for all of us. A year ago you were worried about class schedules and how much studying you could sacrifice in the name of frat parties. Now you've had to come to terms with a divorce, a baby brother, and a new person in our lives. I get it." She smiled at both of them. "I understand that you're going to have reservations. That's okay. You don't know Andy, but I hope that as that changes you will both grow to like him. If you don't, then I hope you can at least respect and accept that he is very important to me, and no matter what happens between the two of us, he is always going to be Joey's father."

"We can try," Ricky said. "Em's right, we want you to be happy. We want you to be _okay_ too. You scared the crap out of us with that whole trying to die on us thing." They'd both had some moments over it. Things they wouldn't tell their mother, and they probably didn't _have_ to tell her. It had terrified them, the idea of losing her. Who would they have if they didn't have her? "Maybe it helps a little, knowing you really scared the crap out of him too. That sounded really bad," he acknowledged, "but what I mean is if you really, _really _want us to try, then we will. But if he hurts you, then I'm going to get my frat brothers and we're going to kick the crap out of this dude… and some of those guys play football. All I'm saying."

Sharon laughed. "You will _not_." She shook her head at him. "I appreciate the offer, but I can take care of myself Richard William." She stepped forward and drew her son to her. "I love you," she said softly. "I'm sorry that I scared you. I know this hasn't been easy, and I'm sorry about that. I know you've been hurt too." Sharon held out an arm and welcomed Emily into the hug too. She held both of her children. "You can't imagine how much I love both of you," she murmured. "I wish it could have been different for you, but I can't be sorry about how it's turned out."

"We know momma," Emily lay her head against her mother's shoulder. "It's okay, you love him." She had spent the past two days in her mother's house, witnessing the phenomenon that was her relationship with this Andy Flynn guy. She had seen them together before, when she visited for the baby shower and again when Joey was born. Seeing them as they were now, at home, without others watching them, it was more natural. It was a true glimpse into who they were as a couple. Emily didn't know that she had ever seen her mother look at someone that way before, not even her father, and Andy… There was something about watching the way that he looked at her mother. As though nothing else in the world mattered. It made her ache all over, and at the same time, she was just a little giddy. That kind of love really could exist, and it was out there to be found. Even if it meant waiting half your lifetime.

"Hm." Sharon stepped away from them. She gripped Ricky's chin for a moment, and when he smiled at her, she felt moderately better. "Why don't you take your bags up to your room," she told him. "I'm afraid you'll have to do your own rearranging. Andy put the bed together for you, but if you don't like where it is, we can move it. The rest can come together now that you're home. Okay?"

"Sure." Ricky stepped away from her. At her pointed look, he rolled his eyes. "I'll thank him. I kind of wasn't looking forward to having to do that tonight, so yeah, big thank you from me for the new boyfriend."

"Do I get a hint?" Andy stepped back into the kitchen. His gaze swept the scene and his brows lifted quizzically at Sharon.

"Ricky was expressing his appreciation for the work you did in his room to get it ready for him," Sharon stated with a smile.

"Yeah, seriously." Ricky grinned. "Thanks for that. Not my idea of a good time after driving fifty million miles."

"Well." Andy grinned crookedly. "Your mother still has a ten pound weight limit. I'd have done it anyway, but the idea of her getting in there to do it herself…" He shook his head. "She's a little on the stubborn side."

"A little?" Ricky's brows shot up. "Dude, have you met her?"

"Oh, I'm acquainted." Andy carried Joey back to his bouncing chair. He settled the baby into it and snapped the harness together before he turned the vibration back on. "There he is, all clean. No leaking this time," he said, proud that it was coming back to him, this diaper activity.

Sharon laughed outright. "I assumed as much when you came back in the same shirt." Her eyes sparkled up at him. "Really, I've just learned that Andy is very easy to put to work around the house. Typically all I have to do is pick up a tool, but if he's in the middle of a ballgame, he may not notice. So I pick up the tool and I ask him how it works. Next thing I know he's doing it for me."

"Yeah?" He walked over to her. "Not how I remember it. I think it's more along the lines of finding you with a drill trying to put screws in the step out back that keeps coming loose. If you would just leave it alone, I could get a couple of the guys out here, and we could get that end of the porch replaced in a few hours. Give them pizza and beer and they'll be happy."

"I don't need a new porch," Sharon told him. "I just need to have the steps replaced. The porch is perfectly fine." She folded her arms across her chest. "The last thing I need is a bunch of half drunk LAPD boys poking around in my backyard trying to figure out if I really have buried all my dead husbands back there."

"It wouldn't be a bunch of half drunk LAPD boys," Andy argued. "It would be a bunch of half drunk Major Crimes guys. Big difference. There's a level of class there, Sharon, and they wouldn't go looking for all your dead husbands. Just the heads of small furry animals that you've used in ritual spell casting. Come on, Julio, Mike and I could have it knocked out in a few hours. Buzz can bring the pizza and Provenza can supply the beer. It'll be fine."

Ricky leaned toward his sister. "Are they always this weird?"

"You have _no_ idea," she muttered. "Come on, I'll help you get your bags."

"Yes please." He turned on his heel. "It's getting kind of thick in here."

As they left, Ricky glanced back. His mother was laughing. Their voices had gotten lower and he couldn't hear what they were saying. He watched his mother throw a dish towel at this man that was now moving into their lives, and then Andy put his arms around her and lowered his face to her neck. The giggle had Ricky rolling his eyes and shaking his head. He shared a look with his sister. Oh yes, it was getting thick around there alright. The thing was, even when he thought back to the previous summer, and those weeks his dad had spent with them before he left for school, Ricky couldn't remember her being _this_ happy. Maybe that really did mean something.

Maybe it meant a lot.


	16. Chapter 16

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

The murder room was a bustle of its normal activity. Administrative assistants and uniforms milled here and there, carrying paperwork and case files in and out. Photos and notes from their most recent case covered the white board, while the detectives that were present sat hunched over their desks, working through the details of the case and searching for possible leads.

Lieutenant Flynn was paging through a report of calls and text messages placed two and from their victim when the very familiar staccato of heels approaching drew his attention. His ears pricked at the sound, one he'd not heard in some weeks. It had been months, actually, since he heard that particular rhythm of footfalls. It was clipped, confident. A no-nonsense stride for a no-nonsense woman. While Andy thought back to a time of stilettos and sexy pencil skirts, he reminded himself that it couldn't be Sharon that he was hearing. She was at home, on maternity leave.

Joey was born in April, but he'd not even been home for a full two months. Sharon had a return to work date, but it was going to be the first of August before she stepped back into her role as head of FID. There was another Lieutenant from Internal Affairs currently leading that department, but Sharon was consulting as needed while she was on leave. Those consultations took place via phone or email, and it was simply a matter of reviewing what was done and offering advice when needed. There had not been any reason for her to step foot into Headquarters.

Even as that thought crossed his mind, a figure stopped beside his desk. A bag was dropped on the surface, followed by an infant carseat. Andy looked up and his brows lifted in surprise. "Hey!" He stood and a grin split his face. At least his mind had not been playing tricks on him, he decided. "What are you doing here?" His gaze swept over her and he took a moment to fully enjoy what he was seeing. Not one of her power suits, but a flowing wrap-dress of deep blue. The neckline fell into an enticing v-neck that gave just the perfect glimpse of cleavage, while the dress itself set off and defined the new curves that childbirth had wrought. Sharon was losing the baby weight, but he had to admit that he was enjoying the new figure.

"I was called in by our illustrious Chief of Police." Sharon explained. She wasn't pleased with that, but it was made clear to her that there was no other choice. What needed to be discussed could not be done over the phone. "Ricky isn't home, and I don't think we're ready for daycare yet." _She_ wasn't ready to leave him in the daycare center yet. They were still being careful about where they took Joey and the kind of environment he was exposed to. The baby's premature birth had put his development on par with an infant that was half his age. At ten weeks, Joey had the immune system of an infant that was only five or six weeks old. He was catching up quickly, and as a late term premie, there were no fears that he wouldn't be on track by the time he was a year old, and most likely prior to that. With Ricky out with friends, enjoying his summer vacation, and Emily in St. Thomas with her girlfriends for a post-graduation celebration, she had no choice but to bring the baby with her to the office.

"I guess that's your way of asking me if I can watch him?" Andy flashed a crooked grin. "Hey pal." He reached into the carseat and unbuckled the straps. He lifted the baby into his arms and held him, a hand cupped behind his head and the other beneath his bottom. "I think we got this covered." He sat back down in his chair and then kicked back and propped his feet on his desk. "I don't get what she's so nervous about all the time. She acts like we've never been alone before."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. One corner of her mouth lifted in a grin. She leaned against his desk, a hand pressed against the surface for balance while her other rested against her hip. "It isn't you that I'm worried about," she drawled.

"Oh my god. It's back." Lieutenant Provenza's voice filled the murder room as he entered it. "Just when I thought those reports of an unidentified flying broom were just the guys down in Narcotics sniffing their own evidence."

"Hm." Sharon turned slowly. A single, well sculpted brow arched. "Of all the things I've missed while I've been away, I can say with absolute honesty, Lieutenant… that you are not one of them." She pushed away from Flynn's desk. "I have a meeting," she stated, "I shouldn't be long."

"Yeah, yeah," Andy waved a hand in dismissal. "Go, get out of here. We're hanging out." He had Joey seated on his stomach, his large hands supporting the baby's back and head. "So, did I ever tell you about the time your Uncle Provenza got clocked on the head by a cross-dressing prostitute?"

"Oh god." Sharon turned on her heel and walked quickly away. She had known that it would digress at some point. Although she trusted Andy not to let it get too far out of hand.

She did not want to be gone long, and so Sharon quickly made her way to the Chief of Police's office. When she arrived, she badged into the outer office. The Chief's assistant waved her through.

"They're waiting for you," she stated.

_They_. That didn't bode very well, Sharon thought. She kept her face carefully schooled as she strode down the short hall. She knocked as she entered the Chief's office, fully aware that his assistant would have already announced her arrival. As Sharon entered she found the Chief seated behind his desk, but also present was the head of the City Attorney's office. Her brows lifted at that. It was the only outward sign of surprise that she exhibited as she strode forward.

Chief Tommy Delk stood from behind his desk the moment that she entered. He walked around to stand in front of his desk, aware from the periphery of his vision that Chief City Attorney Jacob Esparza had also risen. "Captain Raydor. Thank you for joining us. I believe that you know Jacob Esparza from the City Attorney's office."

"I do. We've worked together many times, primarily before his most recent promotion," Sharon smiled at the man and offered her hand. "How are you Jake?"

"Good." Jake Esparza was a tall man, broad across the shoulders. He had the olive skinned complexion of his latino heritage. "I understand congratulations are in order. I could hardly believe it. How are the other two? Ricky must be off to college now?"

"Hm." Sharon smiled warmly. "He's about to start his senior year at Stanford." She rolled her eyes. "It goes by quickly, doesn't it? I'm still trying to convince myself that the idea that I'll be doing it all again isn't a dream."

Jake laughed. "Yes, well, what was it you told me when Elise and I had Sarah a few years ago? Remember all those times you wished you could go back and know then what you…"

"Know now," Sharon finished. "Yes, thank you, Jake." She shook her head. "I'm going to keep that in mind."

"Always glad to help, Sharon." He leaned comfortably back against the chief's desk, hands clasped loosely against his lap.

Delk chuckled. "Isn't that always what we try to tell ourselves? It's not a matter of starting over after a certain age, it's a matter of knowing better and getting it right." He shook his head. He straightened a bit. "I understand this was an imposition, Captain. I know we've pulled you away from your new son during Maternity Leave. I do apologize for that, but it couldn't be helped."

"It really is no problem, Chief. Well, I'm not convinced that Chief Johnson will agree." Her smile tilted, just a bit crookedly while her eyes gleamed. "One of her team has offered to provide his services as a sitter for the duration of this meeting."

The chief laughed quietly. While he had heard the rumors, he chose not to get involved in the personal lives of his officers. He trusted his department heads to be able to handle these sorts of situations without his micromanaging such things. "Yes, I believe I can imagine the response." He took just a moment to clasp his hands in front of him and study the woman. She seemed no worse for the traumatic nature of her son's arrival. "Before we begin, I'd like to express again how happy I was to hear that things worked out for yourself, and your son. I have to confess, I have seen the pictures. That is one very fine looking boy."

Sharon's eyes closed. She could not fully suppress the smile. "He didn't." She shook her head. Yes, of course he did. She could just picture Andy showing pictures to any who walked past. He'd done it at the hospital, even while Joey was still in his incubator. She could still hear him, excited and downright giddy as he exclaimed: _That__'__s my son_, _isn__'__t he great?_ "Thank you Chief," Sharon said. "We're all very happy." Her brow arched. "Now, why don't you tell me _why_ I'm here before Chief Johnson hunts me down for tying up one of her senior Lieutenants with babysitting duty."

"Absolutely." The chief waved her into a chair before he walked back around to take a seat behind his desk. Once everyone was comfortably arranged, he leaned forward and clasped his hands against the top of the large, mahogany structure. "As you know, Captain, I wouldn't have called you unless it was something serious. A law suit has been filed against the City, the LAPD, and several high ranking members, alleging that these officers showed willful negligence and contributed to the death of a black gang member." He paused while she was able to wrap her mind around that. "Unfortunately, there is not another member of your division who would be capable of assisting us in this matter."

"No," Sharon agreed. "On that you are absolutely correct." She sat straighter in her chair. Her hands, clasped in her lap, clenched a little tighter. Her lips pursed while she thought through the implications of his statement. "I rather thought it might be something of that nature with Mr. Esparza here. We would need to first determine the nature of the events leading up to the specific incident cited in the suit. I would need to see a copy of the filing. Does the city wish to settle with the claimants, or prove no culpability? We receive thousands of these law suits every year."

Delk glanced at Esparza before he continued. "This one is a little unique. The suit specifically names Assistant Chief Pope, Deputy Chief Johnson, and every member of the Major Crimes Division in the wrongful death of Terrell Baylor. It is alleged that those members of the department knowingly returned Mr. Baylor to a location where he would be murdered by members of his own gang."

Sharon's head tilted, but her face remained impassive. "Chief, you understand of course, this creates the possibility of a conflict of interest between the defendants and myself. Surely…"

Jake leaned forward in his chair. "That's something that the Chief and I have discussed. I feel, and he agrees with me, that your record speaks for you. Neither of us believe that you would allow any… specific… personal connections or relationships which might exist between yourself and the defendants to get in the way of what needs to be done here."

"And that is?" Sharon's brows lifted. She turned her gaze back to the Chief. "What exactly is it that you are asking me to do, Chief. Perhaps you should be more specific, so that we can determine if said conflict exists."

If her tone had gone a bit frosty, Delk decided that he understood the reasoning behind it. "Captain, I need you to perform an audit of the events that led up to and culminated in the death of Terrell Baylor. Of course, you won't be able to discuss this matter with—"

"Yes, I know." Sharon exhaled quietly. Chief Johnson was not going to appreciate an audit of her conduct. Nor would any other members of Major Crimes. She almost winced, but managed to keep her face impassive. Anxiety danced in her stomach. She could not imagine this going over well with Andy. She knew, only too well, how he felt about her investigating his conduct, especially when it occurred behind his back. Her personal relationship with Andy had no bearing on either of their jobs, however. He could be impulsive, but she did not believe that he would have knowingly participated in a situation of wrongful negligence. "Very well," she stated after a moment. "I'll need a copy of the filing. We'll need to inform both Chief Pope and Deputy Chief Johnson. I'm going to need their cooperation as well as that of her entire division. I suppose I can assume that we would like to move on this quickly?"

"My office is going to continue to work to have these charges dismissed," Esparza stated. "But yes, the sooner we can put together an appropriate response and defense, the better."

"Yes." Sharon could agree with that. She cast a look at the Chief. He wouldn't ask that she cut short her leave. He couldn't ask that now without his own conduct being called into question. Sharon honestly didn't believe he would even attempt it. She arched a brow at him. "Very well, I'll get the appropriate paperwork in order and make arrangements for a full return." She held up a hand when she sensed the Chief was about to speak. "I was set to return in a few weeks anyway, the August date was simply a matter of convenience. I don't anticipate any issues with an earlier return. I trust you won't mind if I take the remainder of this week to get things in order."

"Absolutely not." Delk honestly felt relieved that she had not forced him to suggest more strongly that she return. It was a matter of some urgency. There was no one else who could start the audit, and no one else he would trust with it. "I suggest we reconvene in my office on Monday. I'll make sure that a copy of any and all paperwork that you need is couriered over. That…" He paused. "Won't be a problem, will it?" He was unaware of the Captain's living situation, where the Lieutenant she was involved with was concerned.

"No." Sharon smiled politely. "My home office is seldom used by anyone but myself. It won't be a problem, Chief. By Monday I should have matters in hand." More than likely, she would have a spot in daycare for Joey, although she wasn't prepared for that. It wasn't a thought she liked. Emily wouldn't be back from St. Thomas for another couple of weeks. She supposed she could make other arrangements, or deal with daycare. "I'll put together a preliminary report, and have that ready when we meet with Chiefs Pope and Johnson on Monday." She pushed up from her seat. "If that will be all, gentlemen…"

"That will be just fine." Delk rose as well. "We've kept you from your son long enough, and I am beginning to imagine the chaos that an infant can create among a team of highly trained police detectives. The images are a bit frightening."

Although he always spoke in the same calm, easy cadence, Sharon chuckled quietly. "Yes, I'm imagining it myself." She turned and her smile brightened. "Jake, we'll have to do lunch soon. You'll need to bring Elise. It's been too long. I think this new promotion has gone to your head."

"Well, I suppose I can still make time for the little people." He grinned. "Soon, I promise. I'll have Elise call you. She still handles all of that. I wouldn't know my name if she didn't tell me every morning."

"Well, I suppose there are some things that age can't help," Sharon grinned crookedly as she turned. "Good day, Gentlemen."

While Sharon was gone, Andy took the opportunity to take a much needed break from the call records he was previously pouring over. With Joey to keep him occupied, he took a great deal of pleasure in showing off the boy. He had shown the squad pictures, of course, but it had not been until recently that he and Sharon really began relaxing their guard about taking Joey out and about.

"…and then there was this one time your Uncle Julio picked up the dirtbag and he shook him—"

Brenda strode quickly through the murder room. It had taken longer than she would have liked to get the warrant they needed to search their suspect's house, garage, and vehicle. Now that she had it, she wanted to put her people on it as quickly as possible. She stopped, almost skidding in her pumps as she walked past Flynn's desk on her way to her office. Brenda blinked and slowly backed up. It was not necessarily that Flynn had his feet on his desk that caught her attention, but rather the small human that he was currently entertaining.

She pointed at the infant in his arms. "Lieutenant Flynn, what is that?"

While Sanchez snickered, he heard Provenza sing-song, "Someone's in trouble now!"

At his desk, Gabriel shook his head and muttered, "I said this was a bad idea."

Andy grinned crookedly at the chief. "Well, it's not salty nuts, Chief." His dark eyes gleamed with mischief. His gaze flickered briefly to Julio who was bent over, head resting on his desk as he laughed. He turned Joey so that Brenda could see him. "Joey, time to turn on the charm. Give her the look son. Just like we practiced."

The infant wasn't really able to focus at a distance yet. He was wide-eyed at the noises around him, however. He cooed and pumped his legs and fists, responding to the sound of his father's voice. Brenda arched a brow in response. She leaned down to get a better look. "Lieutenant," she drawled calmly, "is there any particular reason why your son is currently in my Murder Room instead of with his mother, where he belongs?" Still, she had to admit, while she didn't want any of her own, babies did have a particular way about them. Something that made a person want to smile and play with them. Brenda reached out to tickle his belly.

Joey stared back at her. Then he screwed up his face and sneezed. "Oh, he's got charm alright." Provenza smirked. "Sounds like his mother has been deprogramming him, Flynn."

"Probably." Andy drew him back and lay the baby against his shoulder. He rubbed his back slowly. When Joey began to fuss and root around, he chuckled. "Actually, I think it's a matter of timing." He sat up and let his feet drop from the desk. He moved Joey into the crook of his arm and reached for the diaper bag. Andy began searching through it with one-hand, looking for a bottle that surely must be there. Joey didn't like them. It wasn't going to be a great experience. "Sharon got called in for a meeting with Chief Delk," he explained. "There wasn't anyone available to take Joey on short notice. She shouldn't be much longer."

"I see." Brenda stood back and shook her head. "Well, I suppose that's just fine. I'd appreciate it if you would ask Captain Raydor to not make a habit of it."

"Make a habit of what?" Pope strode toward them. He stopped beside Brenda and looked down at Flynn. "Why is there an infant in the Murder Room?"

Brenda rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's fine. Lieutenant Flynn is just babysitting his son while Captain Raydor is in a meeting. She'll be back soon." She turned to him. "What can I do for you, Will?"

"Let's talk in your office." He wanted to discuss the rumors he'd heard, almost cementing the shape of things to come where his position was concerned. Any day now the organizational process would be complete and Delk would begin shuffling people around, and _out_.

Andy waited for them to step inside and close the door before he lifted his son in front of him. "Thank god you started to get hair. I was going to worry."

To that even Gabriel snorted and began to laugh. "My god…"

Provenza snickered. "I just went to a very dark place. You're paying for my therapy Flynn."

"Do I want to know?" Sharon strode into the murder room. When Detective Sanchez began to laugh harder at her arrival, she cast a look around before finally her eyes fell on Andy and a fussing Joey. "What did you do?"

"Me?" Andy plastered an innocent look on his face. "What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

"I know you." Sharon reached for Joey and lifted him into her arms. She tucked the baby against her shoulder and lay her cheek against the top of his head. "Did the mean homicide detectives make you cry, baby?"

"Actually, I think he was looking for this." Andy lifted the bottle toward her. "I was about to go and warm it up." He studied her closely but nothing in her expression gave away what the meeting had been about. He didn't think that it would.

"Hm…" Sharon reached into the diaper bag and drew out a blanket and a burp cloth. "Actually, if you think your team can spare you for a few minutes, I think you should join us in your break room."

"Yeah, sure." Andy tucked the bottle back into the diaper bag. He stood up and gathered the baby's gear before he followed her as she made her way down the hall, toward the empty break room. When Provenza made whipping sounds and motions, Andy just rolled his eyes at his partner.

As they left, Andy heard Gabriel hiss, sounding more than a little disturbed, "She's not going to do what I think she's going to do, is she?"

Andy followed Sharon into the break room. While she got settled in a chair and pulled a blanket over her shoulder, not one of the normal receiving blankets, but a thick, pale blue cashmere blanket that would cover much of her, the baby, and her lap, Andy walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee. When he turned back around, Sharon already had the baby situated in her arms and was sitting demurely, legs crossed, while she rocked slowly from side to side. He walked over and took a seat at the table. "What's up?"

While she couldn't discuss the specifics with him, and would not, Sharon hummed quietly. "I'm coming back sooner than we'd planned," she said simply. "I'll be back in my office on Monday." She kept her voice low, not wanting to disturb Joey while he nursed, and also to keep Andy from getting overly worked up at the idea. "We've run into some situations that my team simply cannot handle on their own." That was true enough. "That means putting Joey in daycare sooner than I'd like. I'm afraid I could be a bit neurotic for a while."

"I like you when you're neurotic." Andy frowned while he thought about it. "Are you sure? I mean, they can't just _ask_ you to come back. Those little punks that work for you should be able to figure something out for a couple more weeks."

"They didn't ask, but given the circumstances, I did offer." Sharon smiled at him. "No, Andy, this time they just can't. It isn't a problem, I really don't mind cutting my leave short if it's necessary. I think it is."

He sighed. Andy didn't like it. He knew she was looking forward to having more time at home, not just with Joey, but with all three of her kids. Especially with Emily moving across country in another month. "Well damn," he muttered. "I was going to take some time off before you came back." He pouted. "I figured we'd get the kids to babysit and we could go back to my place. Do some unspeakably naughty things all over the house."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him, but she chuckled quietly. "Andy." He really was something. She did love that man. This was his way of acquiescing, even if he didn't fully agree with it. "I suppose we'll have to spend the weekend doing that instead."

"Doubtful." His expression turned genuinely sour. "I don't think we'll wrap this one up in time." Andy shrugged. "Another time, I guess."

Sharon reached across the table and touched his hand. They hadn't had much alone time since the baby's arrival, especially with Emily and Ricky staying the summer with her. The moments they'd had together were precious few, and many of them spent too exhausted to really appreciate it. Between the new baby and his work, they were feeling the need to just _be_. It was all very normal. She imagined it would resolve itself in time. "We'll figure something out," she said softly.

"Yeah." He turned his hand over under hers. "I know. It's okay." Andy nodded slowly. "You were going to go stir crazy in another week anyway. So this is good." He grinned and winked. "I miss you around here anyway. No one helps me torment the guys quite like you do."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" She grinned. It almost faltered when she realized there wouldn't be much opportunity for fun or laughter when the news of the law suit broke. Soon she'd find herself very much on the _outside_ again. Sharon hadn't realized just how keenly she felt the separation between herself and other colleagues until Major Crimes began to accept her. She would deal with it. It was the only way to protect them. "We'll talk more later. You should get back to work. I don't want to tempt fate with the Chief."

"No." Andy agreed with that. "I think we were getting ready to move on something anyway." He stood. "I'll call you, let you know if I'll be late or not." He leaned across the table and kissed her. He flipped the edge of the blanket back, just a bit, touched the top of his son's head. "Be good, Joey. Don't give her too much hell. That's my job."

"Goodbye Lieutenant." Sharon shook her head at him. She watched Andy leave and sighed. There was a sense of foreboding that was trying to take over. She hated this case already.


	17. Chapter 17

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

"Flynn!" Provenza grabbed his arm before he could leave the Murder room. He drew him into the conference room and pushed the door closed behind him. After a moment's worth of thought he also reached up and pulled the blinds closed.

"What?" Flynn rolled his eyes toward his partner. His hands rested against his hips. "For the record, I'm on my way home, so make it quick." He folded his arms across his chest and fixed the other man with a bland look. The guys were getting antsy with Sharon poking around. A situation, she called it, the reason for her coming back to work almost three weeks early. Yeah, he supposed it was a _situation _alright.

"Has she told you what's going on?" Provenza kept his voice low. "Your girlfriend. Has she told you why she's running around here doing an audit of our whole division?" His brows drew together in a deep scowl. "Why is she pulling all of our files and trying to get us to sit down and answer questions. What did you do to piss her off?"

"Me!" Flynn's hands dropped. He leaned forward, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "What makes you think that _I_ had anything to do with this? She could just as easily be investigating any one of the dozen stupid things you've done… this week." He pointed a finger at him. "For that matter, she can't be investigating _me_ at all. Anyone with half a brain left in their head would know that. You know, it's this little thing I like to call having a kid together, being involved, living together…" He trailed off and shrugged. "Almost."

Provenza rolled his eyes at that. "Only you could _almost_ live with someone." He shook his head. "Well has she said anything? What is she doing?"

"Of course she has." Flynn rolled his eyes again. He threw his hands up in exasperation. "She's performing a transparency audit of Major Crimes. What are you, stupid? Of course she hasn't said anything!" Andy sniffed. "When I'm at home with Sharon, the last thing I want to talk about is work. We don't talk about her cases. We don't really talk about mine either. I know it comes as a shock to you, but we actually have things outside of being police officers that we want to talk about. You know, like our son, her kids, and my kids, and oh yeah, the things that the two of us want to do together. Like drive up to Santa Barbara for a weekend with Joey, or maybe even up to Pebble Beach so Joey and I can both meet her parents. Hell, we even talk about tearing down and rebuilding the porch on the back of her house. The last thing that we talk about is this place. So _no_ she hasn't told me what she's doing, and I don't care." Andy decided that was true. Sharon wouldn't be there if she didn't _have_ to be. She wasn't going to give up those weeks with Joey without a damned good reason, and she wasn't going to conduct a bullshit audit for a bullshit reason. Whatever Sharon was doing, it had either been ordered, or it needed to be done. Likely, it was both.

"My god! You've really gone domestic!" Provenza made a face at him. "What is _wrong _with you? Raydor is running around here with her little notebook sticking her nose into every little thing we do or have done, trying to figure out which one of us has broken her precious rules, and you don't care?" It was worse than he thought. It wasn't just a fling, or even a case of Flynn wanting to be his usual idiotic self and do the right thing. There were actual _feelings_ involved now.

Andy's lips pursed. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at the floor between them. He rocked back on his heels and sighed, taking a moment to at least give it more than a cursory consideration. He nodded slowly. "No," he said finally. "I don't care." Andy shrugged. "She's just doing her job. I mean, if she wasn't doing it, someone else would be, right? There's got to be a reason she's doing the audit. I'm sure we'll either figure it out, or someone will tell us, sooner or later. For all we know, it has nothing to do with the rest of us at all. It could be more of that whole reorganization crap that Chief Delk started before he died. His Holiness could be covering his own ass while he tries to figure out how to hang on to being Chief. Or he's covering his own ass before he promotes Chief Johnson to Assistant Chief. It doesn't matter."

"How can you say it doesn't matter," Provenza hissed. "She's _always_ here!" He threw up his hands. "Every time we turn around, she's right there. She's even taking over a desk! Doesn't she have her own office. _Why_ does she have to be up here with us!"

"Maybe she just likes us." Andy rolled his eyes. "Look, she's always been _always here_. I thought we all agreed she wasn't so bad? Just take it easy, alright? I'm sure she'll be done soon. Come on, old man, think about it okay? We almost lost Joey, the kids are only home for a few more weeks. Em is moving to New York, and Ricky is going back to Stanford. Do you really think she'd cut short her maternity leave, her time with the kids, and come back to work early just to bust our balls? Try giving her the benefit of the doubt. It's what I'm doing."

Provenza snorted at him. Oh, his partner was giving her something alright, he doubted the benefits had anything to do with doubt. "Fine, but I'm telling you Flynn, this can't and won't end well. Whatever your girlfriend is up to, it's no good. I'm telling you, no good at all."

"Yeah, I know." Andy decided to just wave him off. If Provenza wanted to think the worst, there was nothing he could do to stop him. "Listen, about that… the whole, you know, girlfriend thing. I've been thinking…" He drew his hand out of his pocket and held it out, palm first. There was a small, blue box in his palm. Andy lifted off the top to reveal a simple, emerald cut solitaire in a white gold setting. There was no flourish, no added adornments. Just the smooth band and the elegantly arranged diamond. It reminded him of Sharon. Elegant, timeless, beautiful. He'd had the ring a week now and hadn't yet found the right moment to ask. He would ask. He needed to ask. He needed to know that, no matter what else happened, that at the end of the day it was the two of them against the world. "Do you think she'll like it?"

He wasn't capable of doing more than just staring at his partner. His eyes would occasionally fall to the ring. After several moments he finally began to shake his head no. "You really have lost your mind," Provenza said. "You're going to ask her to marry you?"

"Well… yeah!" Flynn made a face at him. "Why wouldn't I? I mean, we've got Joey and everything. We're basically living together already. What kind of example am I setting for my son if I don't marry his mother? I mean, you know…" He fidgeted with the ring a bit and ran his other hand through his hair. "I love her."

Provenza turned away from him. "I don't even know you anymore." He shook his head again. "It's like you're a complete stranger to me now."

Andy rolled his eyes at that. "So, I guess you don't want to be the best man?"

Provenza grumbled quietly, but before he could reach the door it opened. Sanchez poked his head inside the conference room. "Sirs, Lieutenant Tao called. There's a possible critical missing at his son's day camp. We're rolling out to check the situation."

"A possible missing?" Andy's brows rose. "How can we have a possible? Is the kid missing or isn't it?"

"We're waiting for the father to be contacted," Julio stated. "The parents are divorced." They could have a custody dispute on their hands, rather than a true missing persons.

"Alright," Provenza decided. "Julio, Flynn, roll out and see what is going on with the missing child. If it's a critical, we'll mobilize."

"Yeah okay," Andy moved around him to head back out. He'd have to call Sharon and let her know that he was going to be later than he thought. Andy glanced at his watch. It was late afternoon now… probably much later.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

It was much later before he got home. Andy was right in predicting that. It was well after dark before he pulled his car into the driveway alongside Sharon's. He sighed as he got out of it and rolled his head around on his shoulders. His body was stiff, tired, and tense with the stress of having spent hours with fighting, grieving parents.

All he wanted was to climb into a shower and then fall into bed. The last thought on his mind had been going home, however. When Andy folded himself into his car, it seemed only normal, natural, that he would make his way to Echo Park and Sharon's home. It's where he spent the majority of his time, anyway. He couldn't recall the last time he slept at his place. Since before Joey was born, he was sure.

When he thought about it, he wasn't practically living with Sharon… they _were _living together.

Andy strode up the walk and grinned to himself as he used his key to let himself inside. Sharon had given him a key a while ago. The downstairs was lit by only the light left on in the foyer. Andy turned it off before he made his way upstairs. There was a lamp left on in Sharon's bedroom, but the bed was empty. Andy pulled his badge and gun from his belt and placed them on the dresser. Then he shrugged out of his jacket and left his wallet and phone laying there as well.

The bathroom door was open, and the light off, so Andy walked back out into the hall. The nursery door was open and soft light poured into the hall. Andy walked inside and felt something shift inside him.

In the center of the room there was a thick, plush rug covering the berber carpet. Sharon was laying on it, Joey beside her on a play mat. The baby was on his back, kicking his legs against the base of the mat, causing lights and music to play, much to the baby's delight. His mother was on her side beside him, her head propped in her hand and resting on a bent elbow. After a long day spent chasing down…whatever it was that she was doing, she looked comfortable in a pair of leggings and a sweater.

"Hey." Andy spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Joey's play. He moved onto the floor on Joey's other side, wincing as bones and muscles protested that. He would regret laying on the floor later, even on the thick rug. He stretched out onto his side and let his head fall into his hand. He smiled at Joey's cooing and lay a hand against the baby's belly before he leaned over him to kiss Sharon. "I didn't think he'd still be up."

"I took a chance." Sharon smiled across at him. "I thought you might want to see him when you got home." She had heard about the case and its end result.

"Yeah." Andy sighed. He shook his head. It never got easier, and it wasn't supposed to, but he'd have that image in his mind for a while… the sight of them pulling the little boy out of the pool.

"I'm sorry," Sharon murmured. She reached across Joey to slide her hand down his arm.

"So am I." Andy sighed. "Worst part is, it looks like maybe the mother's boyfriend did it. Moves in with a woman who already has a kid from a previous marriage and just… decided to put him out of the way. It happens more than we like, but the damn parents are so busy trying to blame the other, neither one is really grieving. We pull the kid out of a pool a mile away from his house, and all they care about is whose fault it is and not what really happened to their kid. And the boyfriend… don't get me started on him. He doesn't even seem concerned that he's our primary suspect."

"Hm." Sharon hummed thoughtfully. Her hand stroked his arm again. "He saw an obstacle, rather than a child," she said sadly. "Something that would always tie her to the other guy." Sharon watched him. His attention had moved to Joey. He was dangling a toy over him, causing it to rattle. She watched his eyes soften a smile curve his lips. "They can't all be you."

Andy looked up at her, surprised by the parallel that she had drawn. He shook his head after a moment. "Yeah, but Joey is mine. I look at him, and I see you. I don't think about where he really came from. He's ours, and that's all I have to know about."

Sharon's smile softened. Her hand moved to his face, fingers gentle against the curve of his jaw. "I know. That's why we're lucky to have you." There were moments when she didn't think she could love this man any more than she already did, and then he surprised her.

"It's not luck." Andy leaned across the baby to kiss her again. "I love you." When the baby squawked between them, he looked down with a grin. "You're going to have to learn how to share, son. We'll work out a custody arrangement."

"Will you?" Sharon laughed, the low, throaty sound filling the room. "I would love to see the custody arrangement that _you_ would come up with, Andy Flynn."

"It will be brilliant," he promised her. Looking at her, hair pulled back and comfortable in her soft sweater and leggings, he was amazed at just how different she was when she was away from the office. Captain Raydor didn't exist here. He could see not even a glimpse of her. She was just a mother. Just a woman. A woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. At their age, that was somehow more significant. Andy looked down at Joey again, happily playing between them, cooing as his eyes focused on colors and lights, kicking with more excitement when the motion made the music play. It was ridiculous. Any other man his age would run from choosing this life again. He couldn't imagine making another choice.

Andy reached into his pocket and fingered the ring box that he had taken to carrying around with him. He considered all of the romantic gestures that he could make and none of them seemed to fit. It wasn't Sharon and it certainly wasn't _them_. That wasn't to say there was no romance in their relationship, there was, but they weren't people prone to grand gestures. Andy turned the box over in his hand and finally drew it out. "There's something else I've been meaning to talk to you about." Andy opened the lid on the box and then he turned it toward her. He smirked a bit as he lay it on Joey's belly. "He wants his parents to be official."

Air left her lungs in a rush. "_Andy_." Sharon's eyes were drawn to the ring. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and reached for it with trembling fingers. She felt her heart flutter and her stomach flip with excitement. She drew a thin breath as she lifted it. The light caught it and the diamond sparkled like fire. It was beautiful. Simple. Perfect. Her eyes lifted and she found him watching her intently. Slowly, although the words were caught in her throat, she nodded her head. Sharon closed the box and passed it back to him. "I want to," she said, voice rasping and just a little breathy. "Not yet, the timing…" For a moment she truly loathed herself and the practical side of her that was asserting itself. "Ask me again when I finish the audit."

She closed the ring box and passed it back to him. Andy's hand closed around hers. "Put it on when you finish the audit," he rumbled. He might not always understand the reasons and processes of her job, but he did understand that it was important to her. She helped more often than she didn't. How many times had she saved his ass? It was possible she was doing it again, she just couldn't tell him about it.

She drew another thin breath and nodded slowly. Her fingers closed around the box and she drew it back to rest against her chest, even as she met him halfway. "I _will_ put it on when I finish the audit," she promised.

"I know." He cupped her chin. His lips brushed hers gently. He knew her fears, her worries, and her insecurities. She had been hurt. She had been left. His thumb stroked the curve of her jaw. "When you do, I'll have more reason to celebrate than just the fact that you've saved my ass again."

She laughed quietly and leaned back, eyes shining. "I wish I could talk about it." He had no idea how much, and she had never had this burning need to discuss her theories with another before. Of everything she was uncovering in her audit, she knew without a doubt that Andy was the least of their worries. He knew the case, he could help her in ways the others couldn't, but she could not, and would not compromise either of them by going that route.

"Nah." Andy settled back down, head propped in his hand. "I don't need to know." He lay his hand over Joey's stomach again and gave it a little wiggle. "Hey, buddy, she sort of said yes. I told you to work on her."

"I don't think you need any help," Sharon murmured. She settled back beside them, but the ring box was still clutched tightly in her hand. "I think you've managed just fine all on your own."

"Well what do you know. Miracles happen." He looked up at her, eyes sparkling.

"Everyday." She smirked back at him. Her head tilted and her lips pursed. Sharon hummed quietly. "You know, should you choose to change your place of residence, I don't think my audit findings could be overly impacted. You're already here every night. As far as the department is concerned, it's pretty damned obvious what we've been up to."

"We were naughty." Andy smirked at that. "So much for that Raydor rulebook, huh Joey?" His brow arched. "Don't worry, son. I'll teach you how to get around it." He looked over at Sharon again. "So you're asking me to move in."

Her eyes sparkled. "Joey wants his father to have a home," she drawled, choosing to use his usual brand of disclosure where their relationship was concerned.

"Oh, I see…" He nodded slowly. "That might be a good idea. Thanks for looking out, buddy." Andy shifted on the floor. Sharon made laying there look so simple, but his body was beginning to protest it. "I've got one condition," he said seriously.

His eyes were dark, intent upon hers. She felt her stomach clench nervously. Sharon blinked at him. She was already going to marry the man, what more could he want? "What is it?"

Andy sighed. He leaned up and pointed toward the back of the house. "The porch has got to go."

Sharon snorted and started to laugh. She dropped her head while her shoulders shook. "Well, if it will make you feel better, by all means." She rolled her eyes at him. "I would hate to see a grown man crying over a stupid porch. But I maintain that it's just a few loose steps."

"Too late now. You said yes." Andy groaned as he stood up, knees creaking. He scooped Joey up and held the baby against his chest. "Let's go find something to eat. I'm starving." It was late, but he doubted very much that he would be able to sleep for a while, and she had kept Joey up for him, letting the baby nap later in the evening than was usual. When he watched Sharon rise easily, he made a face at her. "Oh sure, your knees couldn't pop at least once?"

She giggled as she scooped up the play mat and folded it. It was placed on a shelf along the wall. "Give me a few years to catch up," she teased. "I'm still younger than you."

"Nice." Andy shook his head as he left the nursery with the baby. "Let's go talk, Joe. We need to figure out a way to deal with this woman. It's just us pal. Us and then her. United front…"

Sharon snorted again and shook her head. She walked across the hall to her bedroom. Theirs soon enough, she supposed. She stood in front of her dresser and took a moment to open the ring box again. She watched the colors play in the dim lighting as the diamond shined and sparkled. Gently, her finger traced the band. She would put it on. Just as soon as she was free to do so. For now, she placed it on her dresser and left it sitting open. A reminder. A promise. She wasn't saying no, just _not yet_.

With a smile curving her lips, she turned away from it and left the room. She made her way downstairs to join the other two before her guys could manage to make any trouble. He was only a few months old, but already Joey was shaping up to be his father's son.


	18. Chapter 18

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

"You should have her sign it." Julio was smirking at Flynn, still playing with his little bean bag souvenir from the Captain's shooting earlier that day. She had only just left the Murder Room with Gavin. A silence had settled over them in light of the news that there truly was a leak in their division. No one present wanted to believe it. They didn't want to think that any one of them could be responsible. Probably best not to think about it at all.

Andy had moved back to his own desk and was once again flipping the little red bag over in his hand. "I think I might." He lifted it up and gave it a little wiggle. He grinned widely. "Right after I call patrol and beg for a copy of the dash cam video. Please god tell me there is a recording of that moment."

At his desk, Provenza snorted. "You have got it bad, old man." He shook his head at his partner. "You realize you're consorting with the enemy? We have told you that, right? Everyone here is perfectly aware," he said more loudly, "That this man," he pointed at Flynn, "is consorting with the devil herself."

"I shouldn't be hearing this." Pope shook his head. "You shouldn't be talking about it." He reached up and rubbed a hand over his head. "How do you get yourselves into these messes?" He cast a look at Flynn.

"He's just that talented, I guess." Taylor smirked. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Never would have pegged it."

"Go ahead and laugh it up," Flynn said, while the others snickered. He wiggled the bean bag at them again. "I'm going to marry that bad ass."

While that drew surprised looks and more silence, and even Brenda had whipped around to stare at him, Tao leaned forward in his seat. He craned his head to look around Sanchez between them. "You might want to tell her that," he said, always the voice of reason among his wilder, sometimes crazier colleagues.

Sanchez snickered. "If you don't, I will." He smirked at the Lieutenant. "That was kind of…" He remembered at the last minute that the Chief was there and shrugged. "You know, sir."

"Oh for heaven's sake," Brenda rolled her eyes at them. "I don't believe I'm hearing all this." She shook her head at all of them.

"Believe it." Provenza rolled his eyes. "They're acting like a bunch of rookies who have never seen a woman shoot a gun before. It's disturbing."

"Not like that we haven't," the surprising comment had come from Gabriel. He looked up and around the room. He shrugged. "What? I've got eyes."

"Generally speaking," Buzz stated. "As I understand the process, it would be difficult to marry anyone if you have not at least asked first." He arched a brow at the Lieutenant. "The captain is not wearing a ring, Lieutenant. That would indicate a specific lack either agreement or permission. That could lend itself toward an indication that you are a creepy stalker."

"Oh ho!" Provenza leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands against his stomach. "Flynn, are you a creepy stalker? Chief, quick, order a protection detail for the Captain. She needs guarding from Flynn's stupidity."

Pope looked at Brenda. He was trying very hard not to laugh. "I am going to take this opportunity to remove myself from this situation. I don't want to have to be called to testify at a committee with Professional Standards. I trust that you can… um… handle you're uh… Lieutenant and his… creepy, stalking habits." Pope snorted a quiet laugh as he walked away.

Brenda made a face at his retreating back. "Why do I have to handle his creepy stalking? Oh for the love of…" She flipped her hair over her shoulder and sighed. She whirled around and put her hands on her hips. She glowered down at the _stalker_ in question. "Lieutenant Flynn, please do not make me have to suspend you for inappropriate stalking behavior."

"Ma'am," Sanchez raised his hand, "I could keep an eye on the Captain, make sure that the Lieutenant isn't bothering her too much. I really wouldn't mind." He waggled his brows when Flynn shot a scowl at him. "It wouldn't be an imposition at all."

Flynn's eyes narrowed. "You, back off," he pointed at Julio. "You, bite me," he told Provenza. He leaned forward in his chair. "Just so happens there was a question, and a ring. There also happens to be a law suit, a leak, and a woman not in need of looking after trying to keep all our collective asses out of the fire." For weeks the ring had been sitting on her dresser. She wasn't hiding it, and she wasn't avoiding it. He had caught her looking at it a few times and the longing in her gaze reminded him that there would be light at the end of this tunnel. He turned the bean bag over in his hand again and glanced up at the Chief. "She wants it wrapped up as much as the rest of us."

She didn't know what to think about that. Brenda shifted where she stood, weight moving from one foot to the other. She blinked a couple of times and her lips parted. It hadn't really occurred to her that this law suit could be such an inconvenience for more than just herself, or her division. It never even crossed her mind that it could provide obstacles in the relationships of those on her team. Specifically Lieutenant Flynn, who she watched look down at the item in his hand and turn a little wistful. It lasted only a moment, then the look was gone and the familiar crooked, mischievous smirk was back. Suddenly it made a very large amount of sense. What started as an audit had turned into a full blown investigation when the charges named in the law suit could not be immediately dismissed. Now the Captain was trying to find a leak that none of them wanted to believe existed. Of course she could not marry a man that was named in the law suit. They were pushing the envelope just living together. The only reason it wasn't being made an issue was because Flynn had the least to do with the Shootin' Newton case of almost all of them. He had only been peripherally involved, and he was not with them in the car when they took Terrell Baylor home.

As she thought about it, Brenda's gaze swept the entirety of the Murder Room. She was busy running around, getting her own lawyer and trying to make sure that the law suit did not impact _her_, but she forgot about the others. They were being questioned about their conduct, and now their integrity was in question, as was their loyalty to their team with the existence of the whole leak situation.

They were all defending themselves now, thanks to a decision that she made. Her idea. Her choice. Their lives had been impacted. Possibly their careers. Now she was beginning to see just how much. Of course it was only natural that the Lieutenant and the Captain would want to get married, now that her divorce was final. They had that little baby to take care of. Brenda sighed quietly as she looked around at all of them.

"Yes," she said finally. "We all want it wrapped up and very quickly. Let's all just… keep cooperating as much as we can. With any luck, it will all be over soon. Then we can _all_ get on with our lives."

"Ah, Chief," Flynn shook his head at her. "Don't think about it that way. This whole thing will go away sooner or later." He grinned at her and shrugged a single shoulder. "We're all still living our lives."

"What if there really is a leak?" Sanchez sat forward. He looked around the room and shrugged. "Who here is running their mouth?"

Brenda sighed again. "Let's not think about that right now. Let's just… let Gavin and Captain Raydor do their jobs. The rest of us… we'll tend to the business of finding murderers. Okay?"

Sanchez nodded, but didn't look entirely convinced. "Yes ma'am."

"In the meantime," Flynn tossed the bean bag in his hand and grinned. "We finished a case in time to enjoy a weekend. That's worth celebrating right? We should do something." He looked around the room. "I just unpacked the last box, and you should all come out and see all the hard work that Julio, his brother-in-law and I put into the new porch. It's great. The paint is finally dry."

Sanchez swiveled back and forth in his chair. "It is great," he agreed. "I was really impressed by the fact that the Lieutenant knew which end of the nail gun went into the wood." While the guys laughed, he smirked. "You know, Lieutenant," he tilted his head at Flynn. "It's been a long time since we had a game day." It usually entailed several members of the squad in front of the Lieutenant's big screen television, watching the game. Sometimes food was brought in, and sometimes they barbecued.

"We should do that," Andy decided. "Come on," he looked at the others. "Come over and watch the game, we'll break out the grill, and forget all of this Terrell Baylor lawsuit bullshit. It was a hell of a summer, and baseball season is over soon." He turned in his chair. "You too, Chief. Bring the husband."

"Oh," she shook her head. "I don't know, Lieutenant. I don't know if Fritz has anything planned, and I wouldn't want to get in the way of ya'lls good time. But he's right. You should all go." She waved her hands at them. "Have fun. Forget about all of this ugly lawsuit business."

"You should forget about it too, Chief." Buzz looked at her.

"We'll go if you go," Julio said. He stared at her. "You don't go, we don't go."

Brenda looked around at them again and rolled her eyes. "Oh for heaven—" She huffed a sigh. "Fine. Alright. _If_," she held up a finger before they could celebrate their win. "_If_ and only if Fritz does not have anything else planned for this weekend."

"Fair enough," Provenza stated. He pulled out a notepad and began writing on it. "I'm bringing the beer. Julio, you're on…"

"Flautas duty," the detective grinned. "Absolutely, sir. I'll make them extra spicy!" He rubbed his hands together. Already he could taste the black beans and corn that would go into them, along with the extra spicy chicken.

"Good man," Provenza made note of that. "Flynn is in charge of the barbecue, and as always it terrifies me to leave the vegetarian in charge of the meat." He caught the look his partner shot at him and returned it. "Tao, you're in charge of dessert, tell your wife we love her, and Buzz…" He stopped writing and looked up at the younger man. "You are to go over and—"

"Make sure that the Lieutenant has his television hooked up correctly before the game starts. Yes sir." Buzz smirked knowingly. He had hooked it up for the Lieutenant to begin with back at his old place.

"Great!" Flynn stood up and pushed his chair into his desk. "It's a party."

"Where are you going?" Brenda's brows lifted as he walked toward the exit.

He flashed a crooked grin at them. "To tell Sharon we're having a barbecue and the whole of Major Crimes is descending on the house."

Brenda shook her head at him. "Lieutenant, it's going to be really hard for _That Woman_ to marry you after she shoots you."

"You're probably very right about that Chief." He smirked. "We'll just call it an adventure and see how it turns out anyway." Andy was still grinning as he turned. Sharon probably was going to shoot him, but it was _their_ house now. Besides, he was going to marry that bad ass. The team was going to have to get used to the idea.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

"Ma'am, is there anything else that I can do to help?"

Sharon shook her head. She smiled as she looked up at the young man standing nervously just inside her kitchen. "Well, for one thing you can stop calling me that." Buzz had come, as promised, to check the set up on the television. They hadn't actually installed Andy's into the den yet, but Buzz made the switch for the larger flat screen and connected it to the entertainment system. She made a mental note to never let Ricky know that someone else had touched it. Her son would have a fit. Sharon chuckled quietly at the thought and slanted another look at the young man over the rims of her glasses. "You remind me too much of my son, and he only calls me _ma__'__am_ when he's in trouble. I think you get a pass, Mr. Watson."

Buzz stepped further into the room and looked around. He hadn't expected the house to be so warm. The old Victorian was open, airy even. There were high ceilings and wood floors. The kitchen was large, painted in muted shades of yellow and green. Not what he would have expected of the Captain. Of course he never would have expected her to go along with the Lieutenant's insane barbecue idea either, but apparently she was. She stood at the center island, mashing something into a bowl, and looking not at all like a woman he had ever seen before. She wore a pair of denim shorts and there was a red tank top underneath a cotton button down that had been left open. Her hair, normally straight, without a single strand out of place, was twisted into a loose braid and pulled over her right shoulder, while her bangs and curling, loose tendrils of hair framed her face. There was an infant seat on the island near her, turned diagonally so that she could keep an eye on the baby while she worked. Occasionally she would look at the infant and smile, or say something that would start him to moving, cooing and gurgling as the seat beneath him bounced in response. He was beginning to see what the Lieutenant saw, at least in some small way. She wasn't a machine or a walking rulebook.

"My grandfather is Mr. Watson," He finally said. "I'm just Buzz." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stood watching. While he waited for her to decide if there was _anything_ that he could do to help, the back door opened. The Lieutenant walked in, wearing jeans and a t-shirt and looking just as casual as he normally did at these kinds of get togethers. The only thing that had changed was the location. Well, that might not be the _only thing_.

"The grill is going." Andy stopped at the sink to wash his hands. Then as he dried them, he joined her at the middle of the kitchen. An arm snaked around her waist and he leaned against her back, simply holding her. "You're making the stuff…" He sounded both hopeful and excited.

"Yes." She felt his lips against her shoulder. "Yours is already made," she said with a smile. "No meat." _The Stuff_ as he and her kids called it was a mixture of cream cheese, fresh spinach, onions and shredded cooked chicken breast rolled into a flour tortilla and cut into small round pieces, seasoned with a powdered, ranch dip mix. It made a great appetizer or simple addition to a large meal, such as they were making today.

"Hm." Andy rested his chin against her shoulder and let his gaze wonder to the baby. "Hope you're taking notes bud." With his attention drawn by his son, Andy moved away from her. He turned the seat toward him and lifted Joey out of it. He held the baby balanced on his shoulder and walked around the kitchen, pulling out what he would need to begin coating the meat in marinade for the grill. "Hey Buzz," he said, as if noticing him for the first time. "How's the electronic situation?"

"All set." He felt a little awkward watching them, but it was also an interesting study in just how different people could be at home. He tore his gaze away from the soft look in the Captain's eyes as she watched the Lieutenant move around the kitchen with the baby in his arms and instead, he walked over to lean against a counter. "There wasn't really a lot for me to do. I'm trying to convince the Captain to put me to work."

"Now it's Captain." Sharon smirked where she stood. "Earlier it was ma'am." Her eyes danced while a teasing smile played at her lips. "Do you think he would pass out if we tried to convince him to call me Sharon, at least for today."

"It could happen." Andy grinned crookedly as he carried a platter of meat to the counter, where he had been systematically setting the items he gathered. "The only time she gets called _ma__'__am_ at home is when we're in trouble."

"Something that Andy is exceedingly good at," Sharon teased. She shook powdered ranch mix into her mixing bowl and continued to stir and soften the contents. When he walked past her, she jumped. His hand had landed across her backside. She arched a brow at him and sent a look over the rims of her glasses. "Lieutenant, not in front of Buzz. He's nervous enough."

"Yes ma'am." Andy smirked. He lay Joey back in his seat and buckled it. Then he lifted it and baby and moved them to the counter where he would be working. "See, I'm exceedingly good."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "There are no words for what you are." She put spoon and bowl down and wiped her hands on a towel. Then she walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out two heads of differently colored cabbage and carried them to the opposite side of the island. She pulled down a large, glass bowl and placed it beside them. Next, she set out a cutting board and knife. "Buzz, if you'd like to help, you can start shredding these for me."

"Yes m—uh, okay." He caught himself just in time. Buzz smiled, relieved to have something to do besides stand around and stare. After washing his hands, he joined her at the island and got to work. While he steadily chopped the cabbage into thin, small slices, he listened to the teasing that went back and forth in the kitchen. Whether they forgot he was there, or were that at ease with each other even around _strangers_, he couldn't say. After a while, Buzz just smirked to himself. They reminded him of his mother and stepfather, he decided. The rest of the world didn't fade away, it just didn't seem quite as important when they were together.

It wasn't long before others began arriving. Julio was next, and he knocked on the back door. His familiarity with the place having come from helping with the porch in previous weeks. He stepped inside at the summons, wearing shades on his head and carrying a covered platter in the crook of one arm, while two bags were hanging from the other. "Flynns." He greeted them with a smirk.

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Campbells," she corrected with a grin. "I told you, he's taking my name." Her green eyes were dancing as Julio joined them at the counter. He set the platter on it and she moved over to lift a corner of the lid. "I think you're my favorite." Even a few months after having Joey, she still had cravings for spicy food, and the flautas that the detective brought would certainly be that. He had introduced her to them a few weeks before, just after he and Andy began working on her porch. Their porch, she reminded herself.

"I thought I was always your favorite, ma'am." Julio grinned and set the two canvas bags on the counter as well. From inside he pulled sour cream and a bowl of his mother's guacamole. "I tried to get her to come," he told Sharon, "but my mother had plans with my sister. She sent you this. She knows you like it."

She took it from him with a smile. "Definitely my favorite." Sharon grinned as she carried both bowls to the fridge for him.

"I thought I was your favorite." Andy looked back at her. "I feed you." He pointed his basting brush at Sanchez. "Hey, stop hitting on my girl. We had this talk. Get your own. She's got sisters."

"I accept no substitutes." Julio smirked. "Hey Buzz…" He nudged the man as he walked past.

"She lets you call her ma'am." Buzz arched a brow at him. "What did you do?"

"I'm always in trouble." Sanchez grinned and walked over to retrieve Joey from his seat. "That's why she likes me best." He put the baby against his shoulder with practiced ease born of having spent countless hours with nieces, nephews, and younger cousins. "Isn't that right mi hombrecito." He found a spot in a corner of the kitchen, where two counters met to lean and hold the baby, all the while speaking in quiet spanish.

"How does the Captain know your mother?" Buzz glanced up from where he stood, still chopping. He was beginning to wonder which finer nuances he had missed.

"My brother-in-law and I helped the Lieutenant work on his porch," Julio explained. "He has a contracting company. We came out and tore down the old one, and put up the new one with some of his guys that volunteered to work for my mother's cooking."

"I helped Tomás out a few years ago," Andy explained. "A guy jumped him at a convenience store. He shoved the guy off, defending himself, and the other guy fell. He got hurt and filed assault charges. We pulled the cams from the store and got the whole thing tossed out. The footage proved they could both be at fault, so the guy took a deal to drop the charges and they could both go on their merry way." He shrugged. "It was nothing. Hollywood division was bungling it, as usual for them."

"Tomás was grateful," Julio said. "The Lieutenant offered to pay him for the porch, but he wouldn't let him. The Captain and my mother fed the guys, and they donated the old wood to my brother-in-law's company, so it all worked out." He glanced up and looked around the kitchen, gaze finally falling on Buzz. "We take care of our own."

"Julio's mother and I had a very nice chat when she stopped by to drop off lunch for the gentlemen working on the porch," Sharon stated. "Her son is a very good boy." Her eyes glittered happily while a smile played at her lips. Just like any son, Julio shrugged and seemed a little embarrassed by his mother's having talked about him to someone he knew and viewed as a superior. "I found I quite agreed with her."

"It's important to keep them in the dark," Julio stated. He bounced Joey in his arms. "As long as they think we're good, then we're in the clear. That's lesson number ten."

Buzz looked confused. "Lesson number ten?" He looked around the kitchen and shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Lessons for life." Andy grinned. "We're teaching Joey how to make it. He needs all the help he can get with us as parents."

"It's just more of Andy's odd sense of humor." Sharon said with a smile.

"Which you have caught," he pointed out.

"You are a bad influence," she agreed. "I am ruined."

"I like you ruined." He lifted the platter of coated meat and walked toward the door, but stopped beside her to drop a kiss against the side of her head. "Joey, you're in charge," Andy announced, and stepped out onto the porch to get started with the grill.

"Before he can be in charge, I think he needs a diaper," Julio said. He pushed away from the counter, but waved the Captain off when she wiped her hands. "Nah, I've got it. Uncle Julio has done this before. Up the stairs and…"

"Last on the left," Sharon said with a nod. "Yes, thank you, Julio." She watched him go with her son before she turned her attention back to the dish she was making. "Don't look quite so traumatized Buzz." She grinned crookedly. "I won't bite, and the broom is put away for the day."

He hung his head and grinned. "It's just a little different. The baby shower was very chaotic with the chief's parents there, and this is…"

"Far more casual and completely not what you were expecting." She smiled, understanding his discomfort. "It's okay. I understand. I'm not really in the habit of bringing people home from work. I've always kept the two separate in the past, this is taking some getting used to for me as well."

"The lieutenant thought you might shoot him when he told you what he planned." Buzz's brows lifted. "We really didn't expect you to go along with it."

She laughed. "I almost did. Shoot him, I mean. He only gave me a day's worth of notice." Sharon shrugged. "When you decide to share your life with someone, it isn't only limited to letting them into your personal sphere. You have to step into theirs as well. This is something Andy does. He likes to spend time with all of you. Your division has been together a long time, and you've been through a lot. You've become friends." She smiled gently at the younger man. It was hard, opening herself up to these people who she could never really gauge whether they liked her or not, or if they just tolerated her due to her involvement with one of their own. It felt like her job kept her on the outside, and perhaps it should, maybe she shouldn't even care if they liked her or not. It wasn't easy, being so disliked at work. It was only that she believed in the work she did that kept those feelings of dismay from sneaking in to cloud her perception of her career. She loved this man, though, and she wanted him to be happy. She wanted to be with him, to share their lives and raise their son together.

They had talked about selling both their houses, buying something together, something that was theirs. Andy wouldn't let her. He knew how much she loved this house, how much of herself was in it, her memories of her children. He helped her keep it, he wouldn't let her sell it. Not even for the life they wanted together. He was more than at home there, it was her and Joey that he wanted. He didn't care about the house. Sharon glanced over at Buzz, working quietly in her kitchen and smiled. "I'm going to marry that lunatic," she said. "I might as well get to know his friends too."

"I would be careful what you say in this company," Buzz told her. His eyes were gleaming. "Someone will end up substituting your wedding invitations so that they actually say Lunatic and Bad Ass."

Sharon giggled. "Somehow, I think I very much agree with you." She turned away from the counter, but not before shooting a smirk at him. "If it happens, I know who to blame."

Raised voices and bickering out on the porch could mean only one thing. Provenza had arrived. Sharon and Buzz shared a look and then they both rolled their eyes.

So it began…

As their guests began to arrive, the mingling began on the back porch. The door leading into the kitchen was left open as people moved in and out of the house. A cooler was filled with ice on the porch, and it sported sodas, bottled juices, and the imported beers brought by Provenza. A large, oak picnic table was set up in the well landscaped backyard, and dishes were placed on it as they were prepared. Two pitchers and glasses also appeared, one each of iced tea and lemonade.

When Julio reappeared with Joey, freshly diapered and ready to be seen, the baby was immediately claimed. Provenza had come into the kitchen carrying a loaf of fragrant garlic bread to be placed in the oven. Upon see Joey, he thrust the bread at Julio and reached for the baby. "I'm the godfather, give him up Sanchez."

"You're something," Sharon muttered quietly. The determination of godparents had not actually been made yet. Something which would need to be finalized soon, as the christening was looming. Sharon had the date set for a weekend in October. They were taking Joey north to meet his grandparents, and both of her older children would be present as well. Andy was still working on Nicole and Charlie.

In any event, it was rather humorous to see the grumpy old Lieutenant carting around her son. At some point after his arrival, the Dodgers team jersey made an appearance and the littlest Flynn was sporting his father's team's colors.

After Sharon finished putting together the coleslaw and had the cream cheese rolls, or _The Stuff_ as Andy called it, ready to be served, she found herself banished from her kitchen. She was slicing onions and placing them with the quartered red potatoes in foil to be sent out to Andy for placing on the grill when he stepped into the kitchen and shooed her out of it.

"I didn't suggest this so you could hide in here all day." He put his hands at her hips and turned her toward the door. "Come on, go socialize. Chief and Howard are here, so are Tao and his wife." Andy kissed the back of her head. "Joey is getting fussy anyway, and I don't think it's all Provenza."

Sharon sighed. "Andy, I still need to finish the potatoes and cut the peppers for the—" She tried to turn in his arms, but he wasn't letting her.

"No." He gave her a gentle push toward the open door. "Go, play nice with the other kiddies." She dug in her heels and he knew what was stopping her. His arm curled around her waist and he drew her back for just a moment, out of sight of the others. He turned her and placed his hands against her shoulders. "Look, she doesn't blame you. Not anymore. You didn't file the lawsuit. You're not responsible for all of that. It's just easy to blame you because you're the face of it. You're the one trying to poke holes in our defense and forcing us to make it stronger." His hands lifted to cup her face and he pressed a kiss to her lips. "It will be okay."

"I know." She sighed. Sharon rubbed his forearms. She leaned up and kissed him one more time. "Okay, I'll… go play nice." Her nose wrinkled just a little. "The potatoes are almost ready, the peppers need slicing for the salad, other than that—"

"Not my first barbecue." Andy grinned at her. He turned Sharon again and gave her a nudge toward the door. "Julio took the diaper bag out. You're good there. Go rescue our son before he turns into a Mini-Provenza."

Sharon pouted back at him. "He wants to be the godfather."

Andy pointed at the back yard. "Go."

She huffed at him and tossed her braid before taking her shades off the shelf beside the door and walking out. As soon as she was on the porch, she looked around. She found Provenza on the shaded slider swing at one end of the porch, bouncing a fussing Joey on his knee. Her baby was beginning to get angry. She almost laughed. Julio was on a wooden deck chair nearby, shaking his head while Agent Howard knelt in front of the baby, trying to get his attention.

Brenda stood against the rail nearby, arms folded over her chest and shaking her head. Shades covered her eyes, and her blond hair was pulled into a ponytail. "I told you, that baby hates me. His mother taught him to cry on sight."

Fritz tipped his shades into his hair and rolled his eyes at his wife. "Honey, babies don't hate. He just doesn't know us."

"Provenza is holding him ma'am," Julio grinned. "I think I'd cry too."

"That baby cries every time he sees me," Brenda pouted.

"It's your timing." Sharon walked toward them and held out her arms. "You keep showing up when he's hungry." She lifted Joey into her arms and tucked him against her shoulder. She crooned quietly while she looked around for the diaper bag. She grinned when Julio held out the bottle that she had prepped just half an hour before, knowing he would be hungry soon. She was tempted to take him inside and nurse him, but knew that Andy would accuse her of using the baby as an excuse to hide. He would probably be right.

It was easier when their only guests had been Buzz or Julio. Those two she could handle easily enough. Now the entire team was present, along with their Chief, and she felt more awkward surrounded by all of them, even in her own home. Sharon took a seat in one of the wide, adirondack chairs on her porch and drew her legs up into the chair so that they were folded beneath her. She lay Joey in the cradle of her lap and drew the diaper bag closer when Julio slid it toward her. She pulled a receiving blanket out of it. Joey didn't much care for taking a bottle, even if it was still breast milk, and could be a messy eater. She lay the blanket over her shoulder before she lifted him into the crook of her arm and offered the uncapped bottle. Today, Joey decided to cooperate. He was hungry enough that he latched on greedily.

"Not so fast," she told him. "You're going to regret that later." She clucked her tongue and broke his suction on the bottle's nipple not once, but twice, guiding him to suckle much more slowly. The result was a baby that was taking his lunch at a more appropriate pace, but he was scowling unhappily. "Yes I know," she smiled back at him. "You are your father's son."

"I don't know," Provenza pointed at her. "Looks a little bit like his mother right now."

As one, the members of Major Crimes all looked at one another and nodded. "He does a bit, ma'am." Julio smirked at her.

"I have to disagree." Brenda walked over and took a closer look at the baby. She tipped her shades up and squinted at him. Those blue eyes were turning darker, looking as though they would end up being some shade of brown. "That scowl is all Flynn."

Sharon hummed. She thought Andy would be tickled to know they saw him in Joey's face. "Well, they do share quite a few personality traits. A distinct lack of patience, for example."

"Ah." Brenda leaned back and nodded. "Yes, that does sound like Andy."

"Indeed." Sharon looked up and found Agent Howard looking at her. His brow was arched and he gave her a knowing nod. So he knew the truth, but wasn't saying anything, least of all to his wife. Not of course that the truth of Joey's paternity mattered to either of his parents. He was a Flynn.

The baby fell sleep in her arms. Sharon lifted him to her shoulder when he had finished only half the bottle and slowly rubbed his back. She unfolded her legs and sat with them crossed instead. While she took care of Joey, Andy finished making dinner. As the others moved down off the porch to help Andy finish setting the table, Sharon found herself alone with Agent Howard.

His wife was checking out the chocolate situation of the dessert that Tao and his wife Cathy had brought. He shook his head and chuckled. She was so predictable. If left up to her, the cake would be dinner and the rest her dessert. "If you ever need to bribe her, just bring chocolate," he said quietly.

"Oh, I've taken to keeping a supply in my office." Sharon smirked. "My team thinks it's left over pregnancy cravings. I call it the Johnson contingency." She lay her cheek against the top of Joey's soft head and continued to alternate rubbing and patting his back. Her baby had his legs drawn beneath him, and his hands curled in her shirt. He was not letting her go.

Fritz was watching her, while she watched Andy. Her look kept alternating between the table and the inside. She was wondering if he had forgotten anything. The agent smirked. "You know, I could take him if you wanted to go and check on things."

She glanced over and found that he was watching the baby closely. There was a sense of longing in his expression that he couldn't quite suppress. It wasn't hopeful, and it seemed almost sad. "You want kids." She spoke quietly, and with the sudden realization that she was looking at a man that wanted something he didn't believe that he could have.

He looked at her, a bit surprised. Then Fritz shook his head and smiled ruefully. Of course she'd see it. The woman had built a career on being able to read people, specifically those who liked to believe they were inscrutable. Like fellow law enforcement. He bowed his head and shrugged. "We don't always get everything we want."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. That was cheesy, use of song lyrics to deflect the awkwardness of the situation. He was not so dissimilar from her… well, Andy wasn't her husband, and she couldn't call him her fiancé yet. _Andy_, she supposed. She would just call him her _Andy_. She watched the agent's dark eyed gaze move to his wife and she tilted her head. "She's very career oriented," she guessed, not wanting to pry.

"Hm." Fritz nodded. "We both are. It's not just her. I wouldn't be willing to give up my work either. In the end, she's right. I know that she is. We're both selfish creatures by nature when it comes to our ambitions. But yeah…" He looked at her and shrugged. "Do I want to punch Flynn in the face for being a lucky bastard? Occasionally."

That drew a laugh from her. "I think most people want to do that for other reasons." She knew the effect that his temper and sarcastic mouth had on others. It was part of his charm, really. Sharon cupped the back of her son's head and pressed her lips against his temple. "It's not easy, but it can be balanced."

"If you want it bad enough." Fritz leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "I want her more than I want kids. Sometimes, when you love someone, you just want them to be happy and you just want to be with them, period. I'll take Brenda Leigh anyway that I can get her." He smiled. "I'll just have to live vicariously through our friends and suppress my greater violent tendencies where the Lieutenant is concerned."

"I would appreciate that." A soft smile curved her lips. "I know what you mean." Her gaze moved across the backyard and landed on Andy. "He really is a sarcastic ass, but he does have a habit of growing on you." She arched a brow at him. "I'll take him however I can get him."

"Even if it means he brings along the whole of Major Crimes." Fritz nodded. "Yeah, you're not alone there. They are a force to be reckoned with, aren't they?" He was watching them too. Tao had an arm around his wife's shoulders, they had been married for so long that she was just an extension of him, an honorary member. "I guess there's some hope for us. That we won't always be outsiders."

"For you maybe." Sharon stood up with the baby. "They'll never be able to accept me completely, and I'll never be able to let them. We'll try, of course, as long as there is Andy to pull us together, and as long as they all consider themselves Joey's honorary uncles, and aunt…" She added with smile, but then she shrugged. "It's okay. I know the realities of my job. Being on the outside is the only way that I can protect them, even when it's from themselves." With practiced ease, she moved Joey into his arms and against his shoulder. She draped the blanket over him. "I'm just going to make sure that lovable lunatic of mine hasn't forgotten anything and isn't trying to burn down our house."

The gentle weight settled easily against his shoulder and Fritz placed a hand against his back to hold him there, while the other supported his bottom. He watched her go and shook his head. He wondered if Brenda would ever really understand that she had that woman pegged all wrong. Oh yes, she was stubborn and infuriating, and all those rules could be more of a hindrance than a help, but underneath it wasn't the cold, wicked heart that Brenda seemed to think existed. She wasn't out to get any of them or make examples. Fritz looked down at the baby against his chest. "Let's go see Auntie Brenda and show her that you don't always cry when she's around." He rose easily, fluidly, and walked down into the backyard to join the others.

In the kitchen, Sharon found nothing which needed to be monitored or moved outside. She was quick to rejoin the others. She laughed as she saw Fritz trying to convince a nervous looking Brenda to hold a sleeping, non-crying baby. She shook her head as she moved across the yard. Andy was debating the finer points of whether or not the meat was grilled or charred with Provenza, who was once again lamenting that they had let the Vegetarian be in charge of the grill.

Sharon moved into Andy's side and slipped beneath his arm. Her hand slipped up his back. His arm draped over her shoulders. He held a tea glass in his hand and was pointing at his friend. "Perhaps next time the Lieutenant will arrive early and volunteer to show us his more prominent culinary skills," she suggested with a smirk.

Provenza stopped mid-grumble. He pointed a finger at her and shook it. It was just a little disturbing how easily they did that, fit together like they'd always been doing it. "Let's not be too hasty. Now, if he would just listen to a few tips…"

Energy crackled on the air. A tension filled it. Laughter began to wane. Andy was looking down at her as Provenza went on. He rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head. It seemed far away, the worried call that came from the other end of the table.

"Captain." Buzz had spotted him first.

Fritz looked up from where he, finally, had Joey settled in Brenda's arms. She was seated on a bench at the picnic table, the sleeping baby tucked into the crook of her arm. His laughter died on his lips. He turned and his gaze found Flynn. A man he didn't recognize was striding across the backyard. There was a determined look across his face. His eyes were dark and his jaw set.

His clothes, which consisted of a simple button down shirt and trousers were wrinkled. The man looked as though he had not slept in several days. Nor had he shaved, or apparently showered. It looked as though he had been on a bender. Sharon's brows lifted in surprise. She felt dread curl darkly in her stomach. It felt heavy, knotting her insides. "Detective Henderson." She shook her head, confused by his arrival. She had not seen him since the final conclusion of his disciplinary hearing, upon which he was officially terminated from the LAPD. He was actually no longer a detective, but it had slipped automatically from her lips. "What are you doing here?" Sharon took a step away from Andy, but felt his hand circle her wrist, as though he intended to draw her back. "You should know that appearing here won't help your cause if your intent is to appeal the committee's decision."

The ice in her tone set him off, and put the other's on edge. This was the woman they were more familiar with. The cold, steel edged Captain of FID. Henderson's eyes narrowed. "I told you that I'd deal with you." A gun appeared in his hand, pointed at her. "You think you can go wherever you want, screw with whoever you'd like. You took my badge, and you think I'm going to let you get away with that."

"Buzz." Brenda moved from the table, her movements slow and measured. She pushed the baby into his arms and then gave the civilian a gentle shove, sending him away from the table and closer to the house. She had noticed Tao drawing his wife behind him, but they were on the other side of the table, too far for the house to provide any kind of shield. She looked around quickly and realized that her purse was on the porch, and in it, her gun. "Detective, you might want to think about what you're doing."

"I thought about it!" He shouted, and his face flushed an unhealthy shade of red. "You're going to stand there and try to defend _her_? That bitch ruins everything she touches. Her own husband couldn't stand to be around her." He laughed, the sound bitter and just a little mad. "You think we haven't all heard the rumors?" His attention was on Sharon again. He didn't care that there were now two guns pointed at him. One from the tall dark-haired man he didn't know, and the other Sanchez. "Flynn's just fucking her to stay out of trouble. It's how he's kept his badge all this time. Screwed up, didn't you old man, knocked the ice queen up and had to come clean about it."

His gun was inside, on the dresser in their bedroom. Andy didn't go armed in his own home. He'd have liked to have had it in that moment. His dark eyes narrowed. "As usual," he spoke slowly, voice rasping dangerously, "you don't know what the hell you're talking about, Henderson." He drew Sharon back beside him and when she glared at him for that, he ignored it. Instead, he cast a look at Buzz and noticed that he'd moved to the other side of the porch steps. They would provide adequate cover if he needed to duck down with the baby. Andy's jaw clenched. "You're going to want to think, Henderson. Don't do something you'll regret. You're surrounded by officers here."

"Three Lieutenants, a Deputy Chief and an FBI agent, it's not going to look good for you man." Julio had taken a small .9mm out of the holster he kept around his ankle when he was off duty. He had it trained on the man in front of them. "That's not even including the Captain, whose property you're trespassing on. Don't do it man, don't piss me off. Put it down and walk away."

Henderson's gaze moved nervously around the group. The older guy, the other Lieutenant that was always such a pain in his ass had moved a little to his left. He stood, arms held slightly apart from his body as he stood, between the rest of them and the house, as if he were some kind of shield for the guy who'd taken the kid away. Henderson sneered. He didn't give a damn about the kid, he hadn't come here for that. He wanted the bitch. "You think it matters? You can shoot me, but the question is, can you do it before I shoot her. I'll go down, but I'll take that frosty tramp with me."

He was too calm. Fritz ground his teeth together and edged slightly forward and to his right. He moved in front of Brenda. His spare beretta was in his hand. Like Julio he'd had it hidden in a holster around his ankle. The others had left their weapons in their cars, or with Brenda, he knew it was in her purse. This wasn't going to end well, he thought. He cast a look across the table and met Julio's gaze. He was a decent shot, but he wasn't the sniper that the other man was. Still, the question remained, could they take him down before he took down anyone else?

Sharon felt Andy tense beside her. She thought he might launch himself at Henderson given half the chance. The insults didn't mean anything to her. He wasn't saying much that she hadn't heard before. It was the ravings of a man unable to take responsibility for his own failings. He wanted to blame her. She'd been blamed before, and for much worse. Sharon turned her hand in Andy's grasp and wrapped her fingers tightly around his forearm, holding him in place. "If you have a grievance to file, Detective, I would recommend putting the gun down and doing so," she spoke slowly, concisely. Every word rolled carefully off her tongue and was encased in ice. "Insulting me and endangering the lives of other law enforcement officers isn't going to do anyone any favors. Do you really think that killing me will have any effect? A committee decided your fate. It wasn't mine alone. I'm one person doing a job, that has been done by others. I can be replaced, Detective. It won't change anything, and it wouldn't have changed your outcome."

"Yeah?" His lip curled. His eyes blazed. Then Henderson smiled at her. "Let's find out."

There were shouts as the gun went off. In the same instant that he squeezed his trigger, so too did both Sanchez and Agent Howard. Andy turned. He folded himself around Sharon at the same time that he drew her down with him.

Sanchez and Howard both double tapped their triggers. Henderson's body jerked as it was hit. The gun in his hand was dropped as he staggered, and then finally stumbled toward the ground. Four bullet holes littered his chest.

The smell of gunpowder hung in the air. It was quickly joined with the metallic tang of blood. The backyard was still. It wasn't silent. The noise and the movement had woken the baby. He screamed his displeasure. Time felt as though it had stopped, but only seconds had passed. Slowly people began to move. Fritz and Sanchez rushed forward to sweep the body for weapons and make sure the man was down. Tao was already calling it in, asking for an ambulance and units to be dispatched to their location.

"Is anyone hit?" Brenda moved forward immediately, already taking stock of her people. "Buzz?"

"We're fine." He had gone down beside the stairs when the shooting began. He reclaimed his feet and bounced the screaming infant in his arms. None of the bullets had even come close to where they'd taken cover.

"I want everyone to sound off," Provenza stepped forward and slowly turned, eyeing each person in the back yard.

"Lieutenant!" It was a quickly barked, sharp command. Sharon wriggled from beneath Andy and pushed at him. "Ask for a second ambulance."

"Captain, you're bleeding." It was Brenda that hurried toward her, concern clouding her eyes.

"No." She tugged at Andy and rolled him over. "It's not mine." Sharon quickly shrugged out of her cotton button down and folded it over several times before she placed it against the bleeding bullet hole that was low on his left side. She looked at his face when he groaned. "Shhh… I don't think it's that bad. You're okay."

"I'd feel more comforted if you didn't look so worried," he groaned. He tried to sit up but she pushed him back. "Where's Joey?" He could hear him crying, exercising his fully developed, and now very healthy lungs.

"I think…" Sharon looked frantically around the yard. She spotted her son and did a quick inventory. He was angry, but he didn't look hurt. "Buzz has him."

Tao held the phone between his shoulder and ear as he hurried over. He knelt on the Lieutenant's other side. He relayed the information and then closed his phone and handed it back to his wife. "Through and through," he reported. He took off his own over-shirt and held it against the larger exit wound that was low on the backside of the Lieutenant's left side.

"Son of a bitch." Flynn winced. "It already hurts!"

"Shut up, lunatic." Sharon glowered at him. How many more times would they have to watch the other bleeding and helpless and not be able to stop it or fix it? "You're an idiot."

"Captain!" Brenda's jaw dropped. She looked scandalized where she knelt beside her. She shrugged out of her sweater when the Captain's shirt began to soak through and handed it to her.

"No, she's right." Provenza shook his head. "He's an idiot."

"What the hell!" Flynn scowled at all of them. "I'm bleeding here. The bastard shot me."

"You're still an idiot." Sharon looked up and let her eyes track the backyard again. They fell on Buzz with the baby. "Julio…" Of all of them, the baby knew him best. "Look him over, please…" He seemed fine, but she wanted to be sure. Her stomach clenched painfully. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and drug her gaze away, back toward Andy. "Stop moving," she ordered.

"Trade with me." Brenda edged in closer beside her. "I'll take it. It's okay." Her hands slipped over Sharon's and pressed down on the wound. The shirt and sweater were already beginning to soak through.

"Go." Andy grunted at the added pressure. His head was starting to swim. "It's alright, Sharon. Go take care of our kid."

She stared back at him for a moment, torn between her bleeding lover and her screaming child. Her jaw clenched. Sharon drew her hands away and left him to Brenda and Tao. She stood on shaking legs and strode quickly toward Buzz and her child. She wiped her bloody hands on her shorts before she reached for him. Sharon settled him against her chest and turned away from all of them. She moved aside with Joey, shielding him from his injured father and the obviously dead man that lay between where Sanchez and Agent Howard stood guarding him.

While sirens sounded in the distance, Sharon tucked her face against her son's neck and rubbed his back while she softly murmured and crooned nonsense to settle him down. One father had left him. Would he lose the other?


	19. Chapter 19

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

They should have been there an hour ago. That was something that David Gabriel had pointed out more than once in the last fifteen minutes. He shook his head as his girlfriend, Anne, laughed at him. "It's not funny."

"It is." She smirked at him. "I told you not to cut across Virgil to Benton. That area is always horrible, especially on a weekend." Traffic had been bad, and then to add insult to injury, they had spent almost half an hour sitting due to an accident that needed to be cleared. "We're here now, aren't we?" She smiled at him as they made the final turn to drive down the lane that his Lieutenant lived on.

David slanted a look at her. Despite the smile forming on his lips, he shook his head. "It's still not funny." When she only laughed at him again, he rolled his eyes at her. He and Anne had not been together for very long, and he would be introducing her to his friends for the first time. It seemed a good opportunity, a casual, friendly barbecue that the others were bringing their significant others to, in which to finally make that introduction. If for no other reason than to prove he had finally moved on from Irene.

Their smiles faded, however, as he neared the house and found his way blocked by emergency vehicles. There were several squad cars and two ambulances parked in front of the Captain's house. Officers were milling around in the front yard, and several were moving back and forth between it and the back yard. When he spied the coroner's van, Gabriel felt his stomach clench. He parked the car along the street and put it in park. "Stay here."

"David?" Anne looked up at him, eyes wide and concerned.

"Just stay here," He said again. He reached across her to take his badge and gun out of the glove compartment of the car. He clipped both of them onto the waistband of his jeans as he strode toward the house. The backyard was surrounded by a privacy fence, of which the side gate was open. Gabriel flashed his badge to the patrol officer positioned there and moved inside the yard. Already crime scene tape was up, cordoning off a good portion of the back yard. His gaze swept the yard and he did a silent count as he spotted members of his team, relief growing as he identified each one. Only Lieutenant Flynn seemed to be missing.

He spotted Lieutenant Provenza, standing to one side speaking with Commander Taylor, Chief Pope, and Chief Johnson and strode toward them. His hands moved to his hips while his head tilted curiously. "What happened?"

"That is what we are still trying to figure out, Sergeant." Pope was dressed more casually than was usual for the Chief of Police called to a crime scene. He wore a sport coat over a plain white button down and a pair of jeans. He shook his head in exasperation.

"David, you missed all the fun," Provenza drawled, sarcasm evident in his tone.

Brenda sighed heavily. "Alright, so are we all agreed that Major Crimes is working this and not FID?" Even she was beginning to reach the limit to her patience, something which began the moment that Taylor and Pope arrived demanding answers.

"You'll share the case with FID," Pope replied. "I think under the circumstances the words _conflict of interest_ are a gross understatement here." He shook his head. "We can't ignore the OIS with Sanchez, so FID will cover that. You will work the Henderson angle. It looks obvious to all of us that he was trying to get even with Raydor for moving for dismissal at his last disciplinary hearing. Since one of the shooters just so happens to be your husband," he continued, growing more aggravated by the moment, "_you_ won't be able to take part in any actual questioning. You can coordinate the investigation into _why _a former LAPD detective tried to kill one of my division heads, in the backyard of her own home, but you cannot be directly involved. Lieutenant Provenza will run this one, Commander Taylor will assist." He sighed. "In the meantime, the Commander and I are going to go and try to head off a media circus before it can even start."

Gabriel waited for them to walk away before he turned to the Lieutenant and Chief Johnson. "Who was injured? _What_ is going on here?"

The Chief pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "David, you are the only person here who was neither a witness nor a potential victim. You're going to take point with Lieutenant Provenza. He will bring you up to speed. I'm going to go and check on Lieutenant Flynn."

"The one time it actually pays to be late," Provenza muttered. He shook his head. "Okay, let me take you through it." He pulled David over toward the center of the yard, beneath the crime scene tape and closer to the picnic table. "We were all gathered here," he pointed out where each person had been. "Tao and his wife on that side of the table, the Chief here at the end of the table with the littlest Flynn. Agent Howard was standing beside her. Julio was on the opposite side of the table at that end, and Buzz was over near the grill. I was standing here," he moved into position, halfway between where the Chief had been sitting and where a bloody patch of grass now lay, littered with bandages and other items left behind by the paramedics. Provenza turned and gestured at the spot. "Flynn and Captain Raydor were here."

"Okay," Gabriel spoke slowly. Chief Pope had said that someone had only _tried_ to kill the Captain, and it was Lieutenant Flynn that Chief Johnson had gone to check on. So far, this was not sounding great. "Then what happened?"

Provenza pointed his hand at the open side gate, from where Gabriel had appeared. "Detective Henderson, formerly of Narcotics, entered the yard there. He pulled a gun, insults were traded. He blamed the Captain for his dismissal, as the Chief already said. We _all _tried to get him to drop his weapon, but he did not. He fired twice, Julio and Agent Howard both fired back. He was dead before he hit the ground." The Lieutenant's brows drew together in a deep scowl. "Flynn, the idiot, was shot while shielding his girlfriend-slash-fiance-slash-whatever she is. Through and through, lower left side. Paramedics moved him into the ambulance right before you got here. Once they have him stabilized, they're transporting to Cedars. He was still bitching about being shot when they moved him, so I think he's fine."

The younger detective's brows lifted. "That doesn't exactly sound idiotic, sir. It sounds more like he saved the Captain's life. Is she okay? What about the baby?"

"Over there," He nodded to the porch. She was seated on the steps. Julio and Tao had flanked her, standing guard while officers milled about. The three of them had already given their statements to patrol, as well as Pope and Taylor when they both arrived. FID was on scene. They had Sanchez's gun and statement. The Sergeant, Elliot, was looking nervous and like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Provenza supposed it was an awkward situation, they couldn't actually check on their boss, not while they were officially working an OIS.

Gabriel glanced over. He noted stains on her denim shorts and a bandage on one knee. She was holding the baby, and while she looked pale, both of them seemed unhurt and otherwise in good condition. "Are we sure that it was even _her_ that he was after?" The sergeant shrugged. "Henderson has never been our biggest fan either, especially Lieutenant Flynn."

"Yeah," Provenza sighed. "It was her. Henderson said as much. He taunted Julio and Agent Howard that they could take him out, but he was taking her with him. It was a justified shooting, there will be no issues for either of them on that, but before the media goes a frenzy with it, the Chief wants _official_ answers. So..." He shrugged. "Now we get to question the only person who might actually have them."

As they approached, Julio looked up. "You're late," he told Gabriel. He was seated on the step beside the Captain, keeping an eye on her and the baby. As Flynn was loaded onto the gurney, he'd told Sanchez to keep an eye on them. He didn't really have to ask, the younger detective was doing it anyway.

"Traffic," Gabriel explained. "There was a wreck over on Virgil." His gaze quickly swept the situation. Tao and his wife were standing nearby, but Sanchez had that dark, intimidating look he used on suspects and witnesses. His stance might have looked casual to those who didn't know him, but the others knew that he was poised for trouble.

"Major Crimes is going to share the investigation with FID. Henderson wasn't LAPD anymore, so that falls to us. Your people will keep working the OIS," Provenza announced. "The FBI will have to handle Howard's OIS, but we'll do all of the preliminary work for them. This might be the one and only time that FID and Major Crimes play nice together."

"I assumed as much." Sharon had the baby seated on her lap. She had a hand against his belly, fingers supporting his head and neck while her other hand rubbed his back. He was no longer crying, but he would occasionally sniffle, or jump at a loud noise. She kept her voice low as she continued. "I've already spoken with Sergeant Elliot. He knows what to do. He'll stay out of your way as much as he can, but he's in a seventy-two hour reporting cycle." Sharon had to trust that her people could handle this without her. She couldn't be involved, and she wouldn't be there much longer than it would take to answer any necessary questions, and then she would be off to the hospital.

"Captain," Gabriel began, "Can you tell us why Detective Henderson would want to harm you, or possibly the Lieutenant."

"He got fired," Julio stated, as though it were the most obvious answer. He squinted up at the younger man, and wondered where he was going with this. He glanced at the Lieutenant, but Provenza waved him off for the moment.

"Julio, it's okay," Sharon said quietly. She smiled gratefully at him. She drew a breath and let it out slowly. Her chest clenched painfully, while her stomach rolled. She shook her head and forcefully kept her gaze on the detectives in front of her. The urge to look beyond them, to the sheet covered body several feet away was almost too strong to ignore. "Detective Henderson's behavior continued to escalate over the last few months. In the weeks leading up to the disciplinary hearing, he was increasingly belligerent, with coworkers as well as witnesses and suspects. It was believed that he was drinking. On at least one occasion he failed a breathalyzer while on duty. He was suspended for that behavior, and assigned to a thirty-day outpatient rehab program." She drew a breath. "It isn't the first time I've suggested that program to LAPD personnel," her gaze met Provenza's and they shared a look. "I've had some success with it."

"What made Henderson any different than any other officer you've dealt with?" Like Provenza, Gabriel immediately thought of Flynn. As far as he was aware, she'd never threatened to dismiss him for his behavior. Obviously, since the two of them were now living together, and had a kid together. "Other than the fact that he really disliked you." He recalled the event, last January, where she had been shoved.

"David." Julio's eyes narrowed. He shook his head slowly. The younger detective was treading on thin ice, and as far as he could see, was enjoying this a little too much.

Sharon's head inclined. This time she didn't call Sanchez down. Instead, her brows lifted. She drew Joey up and settled him against her shoulder. She continued to rub his back in slow, comforting circles. "Sergeant Gabriel, is there something that you would like to say to me?"

"No there isn't." Provenza cast a warning look at him. "I think what he's trying to ask is why Henderson was ultimately dismissed. What did he do?"

"The drinking continued, both on the job and off. His attitude worsened," Sharon explained. "I'd had more than one altercation with him, as Major Crimes is aware. I was not the only one. He got into a fist fight with a Lieutenant in Traffic. It was that incident which prompted the hearing. Given past experience with the Detective and his ever escalating behavior, I moved for dismissal from the department. He had been warned. Occasionally, there is nothing that I can do. An officer just needs to be cut loose."

"You make that determination on your own?" Gabriel stared at her. One corner of his lip curled slightly, but he forced his expression more passive. "You get to decide who stays and who gets fired? I didn't think a Captain's badge came with that kind of authority, or is it different in Internal Affairs?"

"Sergeant." Provenza blinked at him, a little surprised by the venom in his tone. He'd known Gabriel didn't like her much, hell, _he_ didn't always like her either, but this was uncalled for. She had just been shot at, in her own backyard, while her child was present. Her fiancé was in an ambulance somewhere, bleeding, and… well, there were some things you just didn't do. Besides which, like her or not, she was still one of _theirs_.

"No Lieutenant," Sharon said carefully, "that's quite alright." Her eyes narrowed at the younger detective. Beside her, she felt Julio shift, and she cast a warning look at him. He was glowering darkly, the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunched. Sharon arched a brow at him. She waited for him to look at her. When he did, she shook her head slowly. His temper would not be helping her. Sharon waited until he seemed to settle a bit before she turned her attention back to Gabriel and his apparent dislike of her.

"I do not make that determination, Sergeant Gabriel. Believe me, if I did, the LAPD would be several officers short right now. A disciplinary committee of five individuals, including myself, is convened to discuss the matter. The officer in question is allowed to speak on his or her own behalf. I give my recommendation, and then the committee makes a decision. Most of the time, _my_ recommendation is for suspension and counseling. I rarely move for full dismissal, not if I can help it. I may be the wicked witch, Sergeant, but I'm not the devil. Like many on the force, Detective Henderson was so intimidated by the idea of a woman in a position of authority that he was unable to see his own failings and blamed me for his dismissal rather than his own behavior. Would you like a complete catalogue of the names he's called me over the years, or will the statements of your team members be sufficient?"

"I think we're done here." Provenza stated. He shook his head and sighed. It had digressed, severely. She was like a wounded animal at the moment, angry and lashing out. Gabriel had only managed to provoke the beast.

"Gentlemen," Brenda approached the group. "Captain." She stopped nearby and took a moment to study the woman, then her officers. The Captain seemed agitated and Gabriel was looking irritated about something. "Paramedics are leaving now. Lieutenant Flynn is stable, they're taking him to Cedars." She sighed quietly. "Captain, is there someone that we can call…"

"No." Sharon turned her attention on the Chief. "I'll need to notify Andy's family, but other than that, I think we're good here, but thank you."

"Ma'am." Julio drew her attention again. "I can stay with Joey if you would like to go to the hospital."

"Do you have any other questions for me?" This, Sharon directed at Gabriel, a hint of ice returning to her tone. "Is there anything else about my professional conduct that you would like to go over?"

"No, Captain." Gabriel sighed. "I think that's all we need." He placed his hands on his hips again. "If we have any other questions, we know where to find you."

Sharon turned to Julio and her expression softened. "Are you sure you don't mind?" She couldn't take the baby to the hospital, she wouldn't risk his health and young immune system by exposing him to that environment. She had a hard enough time just taking him to daycare.

"I don't mind," Julio assured her. "We're pals. Mi hombrecito and I are going to watch the game, while the rest of the guys go to work." He grinned. "Someone who understands it should teach him baseball."

"Hey now." Provenza scowled at him. "Watch it, Julio." He sniffed. "I'm perfectly capable of teaching my godson everything his father doesn't know about baseball."

"Yeah right." Julio smirked. He held out his hands for the baby. "He'll be okay with me, ma'am. I promise."

Cathy Tao touched her husband's arm. They exchanged a brief look before she stepped forward. "I'll stay too," she said. "In case Julio needs any help."

Sharon felt herself relax, at least marginally. "Thank you both." Joey was more familiar with Julio, but she would feel better knowing there was someone else present, in case he was called away, however unlikely with a pending use of force investigation. She eased the baby into the detective's arms. When he began to fuss, she crooned quietly. "Yes, I know. You're okay, my darling."

"I got him." Julio bounced the baby against his shoulder. "Come on, little man, let's go check out the cable situation."

Sharon rose, and her knee pulled painfully. It was scraped from where Andy had pulled her down. "I'm going to go and change first. Everything you need is inside," she told Julio. "I'll leave instructions for heating the milk."

"I'll drive you." Brenda announced. "Lieutenant Provenza will stay as incident commander, he's going to coordinate our end of the investigation."

"That's really not necessary." Sharon shook her head quickly. "Really, I'm perfectly capable of driving myself."

Brenda's brow arched. She smiled, only too sweetly. "It's not open for debate, _Captain_. Now, run along. The Lieutenant's patience was already running thin. We don't want to leave the Emergency Room staff to his tender mercies for too long, do we?"

Sharon suppressed the urge to groan as she turned to go inside. She was going to be trapped, alone, in a car… This day wasn't getting any better, she thought. She pushed that aside however, as she moved into the house. There were things that needed to be done, calls that needed to be made. She supposed that driving herself, or not, would be the least of her worries.

It was not until the Captain had disappeared into the house that Brenda turned where she stood. "David!" She hissed at him. She might have smacked his arm, but she refrained. "What did you do?"

"What?" He threw his hands up. "It seemed relevant! Am I the only one here who remembers what dealing with her is like?"

"Yes," they all said.

"Okay, did I miss something here?" Gabriel looked around at all of them. "Since when do we _like_ Captain Raydor? You're all acting like I did something wrong."

"You really can be a moron sometimes," Julio said quietly. "If she wanted to make life hard for you, she could. It's really very simple. Instead, she's been helping all of us."

"In the meantime," Brenda said, "let's put together what we can of Detective Henderson's activities for the last few days and make sure that we all provide copies our statements to our friends at the FBI." That said, she made her way inside the house. She would leave the others to keep an eye on Gabriel and make sure the younger officer didn't make more of a fool of himself.

The house was silent. It was a sanctuary to the chaos outside. It's walls provided protection against the pain and loss, the fear and heartache that the scene outside had provided. In a matter of moments her life had gone from simple, to heartbreakingly complicated. How was it that despite all that she did, there were still those like Henderson and Gabriel who could still question her methods? Her motivations. They really believed that she derived some kind of pleasure from destroying them, when the detriment to their careers came as a result of their own actions. Yet what had she sacrificed for this job? What had she given up for the pursuit of her own ambitions?

She never allowed it to bother her before. People could think as they liked. Her record spoke for itself, as did the personnel jackets of those officers for whom disciplinary action had been necessary. She was not a one-woman wrecking ball. She neither took pleasure, nor excitement from the downfall of those around her. She tried, whenever possible, to help rather than hinder. There was simply a process to it all. A process that few understood and even fewer appreciated.

Sharon was beginning to wonder if it was all really worth it. It was as she had told Henderson. If she wasn't doing this job, someone else would be. She was merely holding a position, she had not created it. Others had gone before her, and there would be those that would follow. Really, did it matter anymore? This rulebook of hers that seemed so important? She was trying to protect the principles that she believed in, and those people who wanted to do good, but in the end it was costing her more than she thought she was willing to pay.

There was Andy, injured and bleeding, and a wedding that may never happen. Her personal life felt as though it were on hold. They were both caught in the middle, and try though they did to ignore that, it was getting harder. Would she be willing to give him up if it came to it? Would everything that she had worked so hard for be worth losing him?

Then there was Joey. How many more Hendersons would be in her future? What if she'd had the baby instead. She had only just given him up to Fritz in the minutes before Henderson's arrival. Would that have mattered to the former Detective? He hadn't seemed to care when she was pregnant, she wondered if a baby in her arms would have mattered at all. It was too close, and too much, just knowing that Joey had been in the yard with that man.

Inside her bedroom, Sharon made it as far as the bed before her shaking legs gave way beneath her. She sank onto the mattress and leaned forward, arms wrapped tightly around her middle and eyes squeezed closed. Her chest burned, and yet the effort to draw air seemed only too difficult. Her throat throbbed with the effort. She clenched her hands into fists and welcomed the pain that came from her nails pressing into her palms.

Sharon thought of Andy, a man who loved her, and was very much loved in returned. Her stomach twisted painfully. Emotion welled within her, painful and choking, cutting off her airway and making her dizzy. She was putting him off, all in the name of her precious rulebook.

Was this to be her life? Would happiness be so unattainable to her that it would be torn away when she least expected it? It seemed that her heart was only capable of producing pain in the wake of its happiness. Despite all of that… she hadn't the strength to walk away. She should be able to choose between them, her job or her lover, and she couldn't. How selfish was she, she wondered, that she wanted them both? What did that make her, that her ambition warred with the desires of her heart.

Her head lifted and her eyes sought and found the sparkling bobble that it searched for. The ring, the simple, yet beautiful diamond, sat where it always did in the center of her dresser. Although the room spun slowly around her, and her legs trembled with the effort, Sharon rose and walked toward it. She braced herself against the edge of the dresser and her hand shook as she lifted the square, blue ring box. She wanted this man, and she wanted this life that they were creating together.

If not for the lawsuit, they'd have been free to marry already. There would not be this waiting, or this wondering. A piece of paper did not make them family, but it was something that they both wanted. Sharon drew the ring out of the box. It was not the first time that she had held it in the palm of her hand or felt it's gentle weight, or the way that the cool metal absorbed the warmth of her skin. Sharon closed her hand around it, let the corners of the emerald cut diamond bite into her skin. She drew a thin breath.

She decided in that moment that she did not care. Peter Goldman and his lawsuit could have the whole of the LAPD if he wanted it. She simply had enough of putting her life on hold for others. Sharon opened her palm and stared at the ring again. It was only a symbol. Somehow, it was everything.

"Captain?"

The softly lilting voice cut through her thoughts. "_What_?" Sharon turned, frustration and pain pushing at her control, causing her to snap at the woman. She closed her eyes and looked away. She exhaled raggedly and shook her head. Sharon leaned back against the edge of her dresser and forced herself to relax, at least marginally. "I'm sorry, Chief. What can I do for you?" She asked, far more calmly than she felt.

The low cadence of her voice trembled. It gave away her turmoil, but there was little that she could do to hide it at this point. She was ripped bare, open and raw, with her life on display for far too many. Brenda walked slowly into the room. The door had been left open or she'd have knocked instead. "I think I'm supposed to be asking that question." She scratched at her forehead and then ran a hand over her hair. Brenda folded her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I know you've got some difficult calls to make. Is there anything that we can do for you?"

Where she stood at the dresser, Sharon was left facing the bed. The blue duvet with it's cream colored, flowered embroidery was immaculate as always. Her head tilted. "You could rewind the day," she said simply. Her gaze lifted slowly. "He tried to pull me back into bed this morning. I wouldn't let him. There was just too much to do. I pushed him out of here instead, told him I didn't have time." She lifted her head and stared at the ceiling above them. "I actually said those words. I told him that I didn't have time for him." She spoke quietly, regret filling her tone. "He laughed. He knew what I meant, but I actually said those words." Sharon shook her head slowly. "Now I'm running out of time again. I need to call Andy's ex-wife so that she can tell his kids that he's been shot, and somewhere in all of that, I need to decide if I really give a damn if Peter Goldman finds out about all of this, including my personal life, because despite all of your denials to the contrary there _is_ a leak in your division. Which I have to find, and in the meantime, find a way to keep your division from imploding while I take a few days to take care of Andy, deal with his ex-wife and kids, who don't really like me much either, and oh by the way, I still can't get married. So, maybe you should tell me," Sharon looked at her, "what is it that you think that you can do for me right now?"

Brenda walked over and leaned against the dresser beside her. She clasped her hands in front of her. "He's going to be okay." She didn't think that she had really understood this relationship between her Lieutenant and the Captain until that day. Seeing them as they were, outside of work, that was one thing. Andy told her to look after Sharon. Keep an eye on her. It was the last thing he said before the paramedics made her leave the ambulance. He was bleeding and in pain, but more worried about _That Woman_ than he was about himself. The concern, the raw anguish in his gaze, it shook her a bit. That was not the sarcastic, arrogant goofball that she was accustomed to looking at. It was a man in love who was being forced away from the woman who held his heart.

Now to see her, the woman who had been a right thorn in her side these last few years, nearly undone by more blows than any one person should have to endure, Brenda thought that maybe she could understand it a little better. They only ever saw the Captain, and while they'd had glimpses of what lay beneath the armor over the last several months, they were never really allowed to see the woman. Not until today, and maybe they were all a little too blind to that, and the fact that they'd been let in even before the shooting began. It was the woman that Andy loved, and it was her that he worried about. The Captain could take care of herself, but Sharon had the same weaknesses they all had. Perhaps David's attitude downstairs had given Brenda a look into her own behavior, one she hadn't liked very much.

"If there is one thing about that man that I have learned over the years," Brenda stated, "it is that Andy Flynn is as stubborn and infuriating as they come. He'll be fine. I'm more worried about the hospital staff."

"Hm." Sharon averted her gaze to the floor in front of them. "Yes." She drew a thin breath and let it out slowly. It did little to alleviate the ache in her chest. Her throat still felt raw as she spoke, and her voice was thicker for it. "He does like the nurses."

"Especially the little brunette ones." Brenda looked over at her and offered a small smile. "There's no rush. He's going to wait for you. I really don't think he knows how to do anything else anymore, and that's okay. Change your clothes. Make your calls. I'll be downstairs when you're ready to go… but Andy isn't going anywhere, not without you."

Sharon nodded slowly. Suddenly the tears that wouldn't come before felt closer to the surface, but she couldn't let them fall, not in front of the Chief. "I'll be down soon," she said quietly.

"When you can." Brenda pushed away from the dresser and walked back toward the door. She paused there for a moment and looked back. "Sharon." When she had the woman's attention again, her brow arched. "David is young, he can be an idealist. His attitude isn't shared. Not entirely, not anymore."

Sharon was left surprised as she watched her go, and turned back to the empty room. After only another moment, she turned and placed the ring back in its box. She drew a breath before she walked to her closet, intending to retrieve a sweater and jeans. Halfway across the room, Sharon stopped. "Oh to hell with them," she said. She walked back and took the ring from its box again.

This time, she put it on. The LAPD, Peter Goldman, and the Chief of Police could choke on her rulebook. She was going to marry that man.

One step, and then another. There was time. It may not be infinite, but it remained.


	20. Chapter 20

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Andy Flynn woke up with a throbbing in his side and an ache behind his eyes. A steady beeping drew his attention first, then he heard the hiss of the IV machine. His brows drew together, but his eyes still felt heavy. There was a pressure on his other side. It took only a moment to realize that it was a warm body pressed up against him. Andy grunted quietly when a nail was drawn down the length of his nose. His eyes fluttered, he forced them open. The room blurred above him, but slowly righted itself. He turned his face toward the warmth beside him, and the tickle of hair against his cheek. The eyes shining back at him were filled with relief. "Hey."

"Hi." Sharon smiled down at him. She had moved to the bed when he began waking, but the last few hours had been spent in the chair beside it. He was already in surgery when she arrived at the hospital, and Sharon had waited anxiously until he was in recovery and his doctors told her that his prognosis was not simply good, but very positive. Unfortunately, that had meant dealing with his ex-wife. Vicki was cautious where she was concerned, probably rightly so. Sharon could understand her reservations, she might feel the same if their positions were reversed.

Unlike Jack, Andy had gotten his life back in order. He was trying to make up for all of the mistakes that he made. It was a fine line that she walked, understanding both sides of that coin… Vicki's heartache and mistrust and the disappointment that Andy felt every time he wasn't allowed to see his kids. They were older now, but their perceptions were colored. In much the same way that Emily and Ricky's perceptions were colored where Jack was concerned.

Vicki and Nicole had both been in to see him. His son was away at school. Vicki told him to stay put, they would call for him if he was needed. Sharon had agreed, and she hoped Andy would forgive her for that. It was exactly as she'd have told her own children. Now they were back in the waiting room, and she would need to let them know that he was awake soon. For now, she would enjoy having him to herself.

"Seems like we've been here before," she said softly. "I thought we agreed, no more hospital visits?"

Andy grunted again. He frowned when he moved and his side throbbed sharply. "Well you know me," he rumbled quietly, "not so good at playing by the rules." She placed a hand against his chest to keep him from moving and he reached up to cover it with his own. "Where's Joey?"

His worried gaze found her and she smiled. "With Julio. He's okay. I checked on him a little while ago, he was sleeping. Cathy needed to leave, to pick up Kevin, but Julio has it covered. His mother offered to take him tonight, but…" They were strangers, and the baby had never been away from both of them that long before.

"You'll go home," Andy said. He curled his hand around hers and squeezed. "It's okay. He needs you. This is not my first bullet," he reminded her. "It's not even my first injury. I love you, but Joey needs his mom. It's simple."

"Is it?" She had her head propped in her hand. Sharon shook her head. "I'm not really so sure how simple anything is anymore. Andy, you stepped in front of a bullet. Do you have any idea how angry I am at you right now?" As much as she loved him, he had purposefully put himself in danger, and she couldn't stand the thought.

"Yeah." He sighed. "About as pissed as I'd be at you if you'd done the same." Andy gave her a pointed look as he reminded her just how well he knew her. She'd have done it for him. He supposed that was their lot to bear. He would do it again, too. He knew what it was to see her slipping away from him. He wouldn't let it happen again. Not so long as he could stop it. He wouldn't let Joey lose his mother. "Hurts like hell, but it's not something I'll ever regret."

"I know." She combed her fingers through her hair and resettled her head in her hand. "That's why I love you. You go where even angels fear to tread. It makes you who you are. It just scares me to know the chances that you'd take for us. I don't want to lose you either, Andy."

"If I can help it, you won't." It was the only promise that he could make to her in their line of work. The movement of her hand had drawn his attention. Andy reached up and captured it. He smiled at the glitter of the diamond and the shine of the band against her skin. "You put it on."

"Yes." Her thumb swept at the unfamiliar weight. "I think it's past time." Sharon's eyes lifted, they gleamed with moisture as she looked down at him. "I don't care anymore. It doesn't matter. I want our life." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and sighed. "If I have to quit, so be it."

"You don't mean that." He knew her too well. She loved her work. Officers like Henderson notwithstanding, it wasn't all bad. "Sharon, it matters to you. It's part of who you are. You believe in it too much." Andy tilted his head at her when she looked away. "You know I'm not going anywhere, right?" He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You're worth waiting for."

"Maybe I'm tired of waiting." Sharon looked down at him again. "Right now it's the lawsuit. What if something else comes up? How long do we put our lives on hold for the sake of our jobs? How long can I really ask you to keep waiting for me? It isn't fair. I know that." She shook her head at him. "I may believe in my work, but it's a job, Andy. There are some things that are more important. My kids, you, our families… It's selfish, wanting it all. Something has to give, and if that's my all mighty rulebook," she said, and not without a little sarcasm, "then so be it."

"Don't." He drew her down and tucked her head beneath his. His arm curled around her, and he hugged her closer to his uninjured side. "Don't let him get under your skin. He was a bad mouthed, trouble maker. Sharon, it isn't worth it. He's not worth it. Someone has to do it, and I'd much rather it was you. At least you're fair."

"That hurt to say, didn't it?" She stroked his chest in slow, gentle circles. "It isn't only Henderson. I accepted long ago that doing this job would mean a world of dislike. I'm good with that. It isn't always easy, and it doesn't always feel great, but it is what it is." Sharon sighed quietly. "I'm making allowances so that this keeps working, but I'm making all the wrong allowances. You aren't the only one with a past full of mistakes Andy, I don't want to repeat them. I could catalogue in alphabetical or chronological order every single thing that Jack ever did that was _wrong_, but he wasn't the only one at fault. I'm very aware of the things that _I_ did wrong." She lifted her head again and propped her head in her hand once more. "Those things aren't so easy to admit, and they're a little harder to recite. I'd much rather forget them, but I can't." Sharon leaned down, her lips were soft against the curve of his jaw. "I don't want to wait," she said again. "Can't we just leave it at that? Let me work out the other details."

He grunted at her again. Andy's eyes closed. His side was throbbing, and he wondered what exactly it was that they'd done to him. He sighed again, and regretted it. Sharon was stubborn. He could argue with her, but she'd do what she wanted in the end anyway. He caught her free hand and drew it to his lips. "If we end up getting a worse Witch at work to replace you, I'm going to be really mad," he muttered. Andy cracked one eye open to look up at her, and watched the corners of her eyes crinkle. Her lips curved upward and he let his eyes close again. "I mean it."

"I know." Sharon tugged her hand out of his and cupped his face. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and then his mouth. She tucked her face against against his neck and hummed. "How bad is it?"

"Hurts like a bitch." He didn't even consider lying. She'd see right through it. "I've had worse. I can't really think of when right at the moment, but I'm pretty sure the thirty stitches from last year might also qualify." Andy forced his eyes open again. "What the hell did they do to me?"

She rubbed her nose against his cheek. "They had to go in and fix the damage. Nothing critical was hit. It was mainly muscle damage. You've got more stitches." She drew back and smiled down at him. "You're going to be sore. They may even let you come home tomorrow. It's going to depend entirely upon how good you are." Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. "That means hands off the nurses."

Andy heaved a sigh. "I got shot. You're taking all the fun out of it. What the hell is the good in getting shot or stabbed if no one lets you get any mileage out of it." He pouted at her. "I like the nurses."

His eyes were dancing. Sharon rolled her eyes at him and continued to grin. "I know, honey, but if you misbehave then I'll feel less like playing with you when you come home. Jealousy, it's a horrible failing of mine."

"I see." He nodded slowly. "Good to know. I really hate the nurses. Perky little things. Grates on the nerves."

A low, throaty chuckle rumbled in her throat. Sharon leaned down and kissed him. "That was definitely the right answer." Sharon kissed the tip of his chin before she sat up. "So you are going to be here at least tonight, maybe tomorrow night, but I will be back in the morning."

"What happened with Henderson?" Andy frowned up at her. She hadn't mentioned it. He didn't like to ask, but he felt like they should discuss it.

Sharon shrugged. "Julio and Agent Howard shot him. He was dead on scene before we called it in. Major Crimes is handling that end of it, my people are working the OIS, and the FBI is taking care of that for Agent Howard. I'm not really involved." Her nose wrinkled. "I had to ride in a car in Saturday afternoon traffic with your chief."

"I'm sorry." Andy grinned crookedly up at her. "You're going to make me pay for that, aren't you?" He reached for her hand and tugged her toward him, but she resisted. Andy pouted. "You're not leaving already?"

"Vicki and Nicole are here," she explained. "I know she wants to see you. They both do." Sharon smiled gently at him. "Charlie is still at school, Vicki thought he should stay, and I agreed. I hope you don't mind."

"Nah." Andy shook his head. "I'll call him. He shouldn't come all the way down here for this. I'm okay." He held her hand, let his thumb sweep over the engagement ring. "They're really here?" He looked surprised. "Vicki _and_ Nicole?"

"Yes." Her brows lifted. "Andy, you were shot. Of course they're here. Where else would they be?" She lifted his hand in hers and held it. "Your daughter loves you. She may not understand everything that happened in the past, and there may be trust issues, but she does love you. So does your son. It's a slow process, Andy, but I think you'll get there. She'll see how wonderful you are."

He shrugged and looked away. Andy wasn't so sure about that. He would keep trying, but he didn't know that it would really get him far. He _would_ keep trying, however. "They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

"No." Sharon shook her head. "Vicki was very reasonable. Her issues with you are mired in the past, Andy. She was hurt, but she's moved on. I think she's willing to believe that you're doing the same. Trust takes time. It's hard to rebuild. We'll keep trying."

He looked up at her, a smile tugged at his lips. "We?"

"_We_." She leaned over him. Her fingers brushed his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere either," she promised. "Not so long as I can help it." Sharon's hand moved, she lay it against his chest. "And I really don't want to go anywhere right now, but I need to. Nicole needs to see you, and I need to get back to Joey. The team will be by later, so you'll probably have company most of the night, at least until the hospital staff kicks everyone out."

"Okay." He drew her down again. This time he slid his hand into her hair to cup the back of her head. He let the kiss linger, let it deepen. When she pushed away from him, he grinned. "Call me before you go to bed," he said. "If Joey happens to be awake too, that'd be great." He was still worried about him, and wouldn't feel better until he at least heard him.

"I think that can be arranged." Sharon stood up. She reached for her purse and drew it over her shoulder. She pointed a finger at him and said at length, "Behave."

Andy flashed a wide, cheeky grin. "I'm always behaved."

"Mmhm." Sharon rolled her eyes as she turned toward the door. "That's the part that worries me."

His smile slowly faded away after she was gone. Andy tipped his head back against the bed. He wrapped an arm around his middle and groaned quietly. He was in a good deal of pain. His entire side felt as though it was on fire, and there was little that he could do about it. He knew Sharon would let the nursing staff know that he was awake. The non-narcotic pain relievers would take the edge off, but not much else. It would have to be enough.

Andy let his eyes close. A breath hissed out between his clenched teeth. He lay there a minute, calmed the rapid beating of his heart that the pain provoked. When he felt like he could stand it, at least for a little while longer, Andy forced his eyes open again. He looked around the room. His cell was on the table beside the bed. He smiled at that. She had known that he would want it. She knew him too well.

He reached for it, humming when pain shot through his body again. His fingers closed around the cool surface of the phone. Andy drew it toward him and opened it. After a moment, his mind cleared enough that he was able to flip through his contacts. He found what he was looking for and dialed.

The answer came after only the second ring. "Provenza."

Andy's jaw clenched. "What the hell did you do to her?" The question was ground out between his teeth. His eyes narrowed. "What did you say to her?" It wasn't only Henderson that had gotten underneath her skin. Oh no, Andy knew Sharon better than that.

"Oh, you're alive," His partner snarked. "You always wake up with such a rosy disposition after being injured, did you know that?" Provenza was seated at his desk in the Murder Room, filling out the incident report on the shooting. He felt they could probably close the case with what FID already had on Henderson. It was just a matter of turning it all in now. He planned to stop by the hospital and see his partner once he was done. "Now then, to whom is it that you believe I've done something horrible?"

"Cut the crap Provenza." Andy's lip curled. "You know exactly who I'm talking about. What the hell did you and the others say to Sharon after I was put in the ambulance? You know, I thought we were past all this bullshit. I thought I could count on you guys to at least be decent, if you couldn't be nice. I wasn't so damned injured that I don't remember what happened. When the medics got there, she was shaken, but she was fine. Now she's talking about quitting her job and walking away from everything that I know means a hell of a lot more to her than she wants to admit right now. So tell me, who's ass am I going to be kicking when I get out of here."

The Lieutenant leaned back in his seat and sighed. He looked around the mostly deserted murder room. It was only him and Tao left. Gabriel had gone down to the fifth floor to get a copy of the Henderson file from Sergeant Elliot. "I didn't think he actually got to her," Provenza said. "She gave back as good as he mouthed off." He shook his head. "That would be our young friend David. He's still got some issues with the Captain. They might have leaked out when he was questioning her. We called him off, she bit back. Look, buddy, I thought she was fine." He frowned. "She's really talking about quitting?"

"Showed up wearing the ring," Andy replied. "You know, the one that she wouldn't put on as long as the lawsuit was going on. Now she says she doesn't care, she's tired of waiting. That's not Sharon. So…" His teeth ground together again. "Gabriel ran his mouth off, about things he can't begin to understand, and a situation he wasn't even there to witness. Got it."

"Flynn." Provenza's voice took on a warning tone. "Don't. Whatever you're thinking about doing, let it go. I've already had a talk with him, so did the Chief. Not to mention the way that your girlfriend handled him. Besides," he chuckled, "you think that woman is really going to appreciate you riding in on your tarnished steed to her rescue? Trust me, don't. She'll shoot you herself."

"She'll learn to like it." A knock at his door drew his attention. "I'll handle Gabriel myself. Look, I gotta go, Vicki and Nic are here. I'll talk to you later."

"Flynn." Provenza sat forward in his chair. "_Flynn_!" He looked at his phone when it went silent. The call had ended. "Damn." He sighed. The Lieutenant tossed it onto his desk. Well, it wasn't as if he hadn't warned him. Provenza looked up when Gabriel strolled back into the murder room, looking agitated again. He leaned back once more and clasped his hands together against his stomach. Maybe a little chat with Flynn would do the younger detective some good, he decided.

Andy put his phone down as the door opened. He smiled as a familiar dark head appeared. As tired as he was, and as badly as he hurt at the moment, he pushed it aside. "Hey."

"Dad?" Nicole moved slowly into the room, looking awkward and feeling unsure of herself.

"Nic." He jerked his head. "Get in here kid."

"I don't want to interrupt." She glanced pointedly at his phone. "I mean, it sounded like you were talking to someone. If you're busy…"

"Nah." Andy put his phone on the table beside the hospital bed. "I just had to call the work wife, you know, check in. He's old, he worries." At her confused look, he grinned. "Provenza. I was just making sure he was keeping an eye on things while I'm holed up in here."

"Oh." She walked over and took a seat in the chair beside his bed. She clasped her hands together and slid them between her jean clad knees. "I guess you mean Sharon and… you know, all of that."

Her dark eyes looked troubled. Andy sighed quietly. "Yeah, something like that. She's not always as tough as she likes to pretend. It's been a hell of a year for her, so…" He trailed off, not sure how much he should really mention with Nicole. His head inclined instead. "I'm glad you came."

"You got shot." Nicole shrugged. "Where else am I going to be? Mom's here too. She was still talking to Sharon out in the waiting room." She fidgeted in her seat. "She's… nice," she said at last.

"Not how I was hoping you would meet her." Andy studied his girl. She was uncomfortable here, but then, hospitals weren't exactly great places to hang out. He wondered if things would ever be easy for them. He was reminded of how simple it was when she was just a child, a little thing with curling dark hair and big brown eyes. It was so easy to make her smile then. Of course, that was before he ruined it all.

"She's older than we thought she would be." Nicole winced as she said that. "I just mean, you know, with the whole baby thing. I guess, when you said you were having a baby with someone, we just thought she'd be kind of, you know, younger. You sort of have a type, dad."

"I guess I did." Andy could acknowledge that. The women that he dated before, and he used the word _date_ very loosely, were all much younger and he could see where she would have pictured Sharon as one of them. That explained a lot. "Now Sharon is my type," he smiled as he said it. "You could say it's… pretty typical. She was right in front of me the whole time. I was just too stupid to know it."

Nicole watched her father and the way his eyes lit a little as he talked about this other woman. His smile was almost goofy. A happy sort of goofy, that made him seem at once giddy but comfortable. The way love was supposed to make you feel. "So… you're really okay?" She looked him over, and he seemed it. Sharon said that he was going to be just fine. His doctor said as much too, but it was better seeing it.

"Nicole." He looked steadily back at her. "I'm good. Don't worry about me, baby. This is minor. I don't mean to make it sound like nothing, but I've seen guys take a lot worse. Scary as it is, I'm just glad this was it. I was the worst of it."

She sighed quietly and nodded. "Mom said the baby was there. That's…" Nicole didn't really know how to feel about that. This brother that she had never met, that her father had with another woman. It still felt a little unreal, maybe because she hadn't met him yet. Nicole shrugged finally. "I'm glad that he's okay."

"He's great." Andy looked at the blanket covering him. He picked at it. "You know, Nic, you could come by the house. I'd like you to get to know both of them. Sharon and Joey. They're… this isn't a temporary thing. You know?" He looked back up at her. "Sharon and I are getting married soon, when things calm down a little at work. I'd really like it if you and Charlie could be there. I know Sharon would too." Andy rolled his eyes. "Not how I was planning on telling you about _that _either."

Nicole watched him for a moment. Then she grinned, just a bit crookedly. "Dad, you're kind of a spaz. Did you know that?" It was somehow comforting to see him just as awkward and uncomfortable as she was. "I'll think about it." Her smile widened. "Sharon mentioned maybe doing a dinner, when you're feeling better, so… we'll see."

He really did love that woman. Andy grinned. "Yeah, that would be great." He settled back on the mattress and ignored the throbbing in his side. "So tell me, how's work?" Like Sharon's Emily, his Nicole was a recent college graduate. He was proud as hell of her too.

Before Nicole could answer, another, softer knock sounded on the door. It was pushed open and her mother stepped inside. Vicki Layton took a moment to survey the room. It wasn't the first time that her ex-husband had been injured, but she seemed to remember him looking worse. That was good, considering. None of them were getting any younger. Her gaze flickered to her daughter. Nicole looked uneasy, but it seemed to be a more general awkwardness, rather than a sense of upset.

Vicki pushed into the room and crossed to the bed. "I have instructions to tell you that you're an idiot," she stated with a smile, "and to remind you to keep your hands off the nurses."

Andy rolled his eyes. "I knew that the two of you would end up teaming up against me at some point. I didn't think it would happen so soon. Figures." He made a face at her. "Don't encourage her. Sharon has enough ideas on her own."

"Oh, I don't think I have to encourage her at all." His ex-wife smirked. "It's a little refreshing, actually. I wasn't expecting her to be so—"

"Old?" Andy shook his head. "Yeah, Nicole said the same thing."

"I was going to go with mature." Vicki chuckled. She settled her hands against the back of Nicole's chair. Having met the woman, she suddenly felt a lot better about the situation. This was not some little thirty-something with more breasts than brains. She had grown children of her own and an accomplished career. That they'd had a child together, well, these things happened. The jury was still out on whether or not he would be able to hold it together without screwing it up. Vicki had a hard time imagining that he would, but then, she had lived through the worst of his addiction. "Why don't we just leave it as we are pleasantly surprised."

"Yeah." Andy snorted. "Okay, we'll go with that." He knew that Vicki would be giving him hell again as soon as he was out of the hospital, for any number of things. He wasn't going to provoke her now, not while he was hurting like hell, and definitely not in front of Nicole.

"The nurse was checking your chart," Vicki explained. "I reminded them you wouldn't want the morphine or the hydrocodone. They're checking to see what they can give you." He looked flushed and drawn, and was holding himself stiffly. Stubborn as ever, he'd never admit he was in pain. "I think what you probably need is rest."

"She's right." Nicole stood. "You're not looking so great, dad. Get some rest. I'll come by and see you again tomorrow." As worried as she was about him, she was also a little relieved to be getting out of there. It wasn't easy, this thing with her dad. It was all awkward and painful, tinged with regret and disappointment. He tried hard, but it always felt like the other shoe was going to drop, and they'd go back to the way things were before. "We'll do that dinner thing. It'll be great."

"It will be weird." Andy admitted with a grin. "But yeah, we'll do it. It'll be great too." When she leaned over the bed, he bit back a groan as he hugged her. "Thanks for coming," he said quietly.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said back, just as quietly. When Nicole straightened, she exchanged a look with her mother. Nicole drew a small breath and slipped out of the room, leaving her parents alone.

Vicki arched a brow at him. "You're still taking chances." It wasn't a question. She folded her arms over her chest. "You realize, sooner or later, you're going to stop landing on your feet, Andy. You say you want to do better, and I know what you did today was probably the right thing, but it's hard on them. They still have a lot of questions and a lot of things they want and _need_ to say to you." She shook her head again. This was an all too familiar argument, one they'd had several times over the years. Vicki stepped around the chair. She tucked a lock of her stylishly cut, short, dark hair behind her ear. She held a hand up between them when she saw his eyes darken, the usual first sign that he was working up to a fit of temper. "If you won't do it for Nicole and Charlie, think about the other one. You've barely been in his life at all. There aren't any do-over's in life, Andy, but somehow you've managed to find one. If you want to do this, if you want it to work, start thinking a little before you act."

His jaw clenched. Bitterness churned in his stomach. It was easy to get mad at Vicki. They were good at that, the fighting. He was just too tired to really give into it this time. Andy shook his head, he sighed raggedly. "He'd have killed her, Vicki. I'm not going to apologize for that. She almost died once, just a few months ago, having Joey. I get what you're saying." She didn't look convinced and he rolled his eyes at her. "I get it, Vic. Alright? I got it all. Hell, I want to be there for Joey, but in a choice between her and me? It's her that he needs. I'm not a rookie anymore, you know? And I'm not looking to go out in some kind of idiotic hail of bullets. But I've got a job to do. I'm doing the best I can here, for everyone."

"Are you?" Vicki shot back at him. "You've got a kid that you didn't even bother to tell your older kids about until he was born, and I heard about it months ago. What? You think I don't still have friends with husbands on the force? I've been hearing the rumors for months, Andy, and I kept hoping that you would man up and say something about it. Now you've got a woman walking around, wearing a ring, and when were you going to tell our kids about that? What? You were just going to call them up some Saturday and say, hey want to meet the new stepmother?" She pointed a finger at him. "This is just like you. You're always so busy running around covering your own ass, you never think about what it's doing to everyone around you or the mess that you're actually making out of—"

"We didn't know what was going to happen." Andy shook his head at her. It pained him to remember it. The fear, the uncertainty. "It was high risk from the start, Vicki. I didn't know if there was going to be a baby to tell them about. Neither of us did, and if it turned out badly… why disappoint them again?" A muscle in his jaw ticked. Andy ran a hand through his hair. "We aren't telling anyone about the engagement. Or we weren't. Her kids don't even know yet. The situation is a little complicated, our jobs don't exactly mesh well, ya know? She's Internal Affairs and I'm the trouble maker that gives her a headache. We were waiting for things to calm down a little. Then yeah, we were going to tell both sides of the family. I want Nic and Charlie to meet Joey. You don't know how much, and I know that Sharon has been wanting to meet both of them too. It's the damned timing, and this bullshit lawsuit. The timing, Vicki. It hasn't been on our side lately." Andy looked away again, hissed a breath through his teeth. Tensing as he had only made him hurt that much worse. "I almost lost them both, and then Joey was in the hospital for weeks, and just when it looked like things were calming down, her damned maternity leave got cut short for the lawsuit. We were trying to get everything all lined up, and the harder we try, the more out of control it seems to get. Now the best thing that I can say is at least her divorce is final." He waved a hand at her surprised look. "They were legally separated for something like twenty years. It's all just too damned Catholic for words." He wouldn't tell her that Joey wasn't his. He could hardly even bring himself to think it, much less say it. He doubted, somehow, that his ex-wife would understand anyway.

"You know, Andy…" Vicki said more gently. "That sounds surprisingly like life to me. It doesn't work on a schedule. You don't always get to call all the shots." She moved away from his bed. "This Sharon of yours seems like a nice person. I've heard some interesting things. She's not one of your little bimbos. I'll leave it up to the kids, Andy, but be serious about it. Okay? Don't get their hopes up if you're just going to bail on them again. At some point, you're going to have to figure out which is more important. Your badge or your family. I know your work is important, but so are your kids… and now you've got three of them. Don't make the same mistakes twice." Vicki turned away from the bed. "Think about it. I'll call Charlie and let him know how you're doing. I'll tell him to call you in the morning. Get some rest," she said. "You look like hell."

She met the nurse as she was leaving. Andy's lip curled at his ex-wife's retreat. Vicki could always make him feel so much better. The thought was all sarcasm, and unfair he knew. She was only looking out for the kids, and the part that always irritated him the most was just how close to the truth she got. She wasn't always right, and there was much that she didn't know, but Vicki had known him long enough that she could call him on most of his crap. She was right, though. He needed to do better. Andy settled back as the nurse checked the monitors around his bed. She carried something for his IV. Non-narcotic and completely safe, as far as habit forming medications went. He nodded and closed his eyes. He was looking forward to slipping into oblivion, and once the throbbing stopped, that might just be easier. Before that happened, he reached for his phone. He wanted it close… for when Sharon called. He wouldn't miss that. Vicki was his past. She knew all of his mistakes and saw the new ones before he even had a chance to make them.

Sharon was his future, and a reason to work harder at avoiding those mistakes.


	21. Chapter 21

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

There was something to be said for being so lost in your own demons that you were oblivious to the world around you. There were advantages to losing yourself in oblivion and work and shutting off that part of you that cared about the people in your life. The pain and the uncertainty didn't matter. They couldn't be felt. You became numb to the world and all that mattered was the moment that you were living in currently. The only thing that you looked forward to was the next opportunity to dull your senses and stop caring again. That was the thing about addiction. It was tricky, deceiving. It made you believe that what you felt was good and necessary, while around you, everything you loved and forgot that you wanted crumbled away. It became easier, once you started seeing it, to run and hide. To ignore the mistakes and the pain, and to delve deeper into the things that took you from it. Another drink. Another case.

Then you stopped drinking, and it was the work. Just the work until your body was so tired, that it was sleep that took you from it. It was a nasty, vicious cycle. Running from your mistakes only created new ones. Trust was broken and finding your way out of _that_ was even harder than turning away from the oblivion that could be found at the bottom of a bottle. You didn't realize what you had, and what you'd lost, until it was finally time to start fixing it. Then it became a matter of ignoring the dark voice in the back of your mind that told you that it was too late. Too little, and not enough. The only way to really silence that was to just work harder. Try more. Get up and come back again, and again, until the people who stopped relying on you could see that you were someone who could be counted on again.

Those were things that Andy reminded himself of after speaking to his son. The conversation with Charlie was stilted, and even more awkward than the visit with Nicole had been. His children were disappointed in him, and they didn't trust him, and _that_ was even harder to face than all the mistrust of any number of people, friends, family and coworkers that had known him during his drinking days.

It was better than it had been. A couple of years ago Charlie wouldn't have wanted to speak to him at all. Now they were at least talking. When Andy mentioned the possibility of getting together over the holiday break, his son didn't immediately come up with a dozen different excuses why they couldn't. He got a simple, if awkward, _we__'__ll see_. It was better than nothing.

Little steps. Tiny ones that seemed inconsequential. Unless someone had lived this life, they couldn't know just how huge they were. Or why a simple, half promise of _maybe_ getting together in a couple of months was bigger and more important than any of the other milestones and leaps he'd made in the fifteen years or so that he had been sober.

Even as Andy thought that, he knew that he was wrong. There was one person who understood it.

He looked up, his phone in his hand, and tried to wipe away the goofy smile that was on his face. He had only been home a couple of hours. They had kept him in the hospital overnight and much of the day. He finally managed to convince the doctor that if all he had to do was lay around and rest, he could do that at home. So they let him go, and once he was home, his phone had finally rang. Vicki said she'd have Charlie call him. He hadn't really thought he would. Hoped, but didn't think. He thought that maybe his son was a little too much like him in that regard.

"_Hey dad_." _Charlie shifted on the other end of the line, sighed. __"__So uh__… __mom said everything was okay? They let you go home?__" _

"_Yeah. Just got here a little while ago.__" __Andy was in his recliner, and Sharon hated the damned thing but they__'__d made room for it in the family room. She didn__'__t seem to mind climbing into it with him, it was big enough, but it was old and the leather was worn and faded. It didn__'__t exactly match her furniture, and she wanted to get a new one, but he told her that he liked _this_ one. She just rolled her eyes at him and huffed in that way of hers. The one that told him she was giving in, but only because she loved him. He picked at the blanket that was covering him, a soft fleece throw that Sharon kept folded over the back of the chair. She said it made it less of an eyesore. Andy shifted the phone in his hand and shrugged, even though his son couldn__'__t see it. __"__I__'__m good,__" __he said after a moment. __"__It__'__s going to hurt like hell for a couple of days, but it__'__s fine, kid. How are you? How__'__s school?__" _

"_I__'__m glad you__'__re okay,__" __Charlie said. __"__You know, that it wasn__'__t worse. You scared us a little.__" __He hurried on before they could dwell too much on _that_ statement. __"__So uh, Nicole said that she met the new chick. That she seems nice?__" _

"_She__'__s not nice.__" __Andy watched Sharon walk across the room and make a face at him. __"__She__'__s mean, son. The good ones are always mean.__" __He smirked at her when she rolled her eyes at him and put a basket of laundry on the coffee table so that she could fold it and be nearby him and Joey, if she were needed. His eyes moved to the swing in a corner of the room. Joey was napping as it swayed gently and played a happy little lullaby. _

_Provenza had brought him home. He hadn__'__t wanted Sharon to bring the baby to the hospital. He called his partner instead. So he had the older Lieutenant drive him home and help him inside. He was deposited into his recliner. Sharon offered to feed him a late lunch, but Provenza had declined. He had plans with one of his daughters. Or maybe it was one of his sons. Who the hell knew. Andy couldn__'__t keep _that_ family straight. _

"_You know, between her and your mother,__" __Andy continued, __"__there wasn__'__t a single nurse that would play with me all night.__" __He sighed, heavily, and in feigned exasperation. __"__It was hell.__" _

_Charlie snorted quietly. __"__Sounds like maybe what you need. Keep you out of trouble, old man.__" _

"_Getting in trouble is how I met her.__" __Andy grinned. That was more or less the truth. He__'__d met her through Jack, but that didn__'__t bear thinking about. _

"_Nic says you__'__re getting married.__" __Charlie sounded quiet. __"__That uh__… __this thing with her and that kid, it__'__s still happening?__" _

_He sounded unsure. Maybe even a little bit upset. There were undercurrents in his tone that made Andy frown. __"__It__'__s still happening,__" __was all he said. __"__We__'__re going to take care of all that when things calm down a little. Unless she changes her mind. She might just get smart and figure out that she__'__s better off without me.__" __Andy grinned when she snorted at him. __"__I__'__m kinda hoping that you can meet her too, before we do that. That was always kind of the plan. Life__'__s just been a little crazy around here.__"_

"_Sounds like it.__" __Charlie said, a little haltingly. __"__I mean, I think I get it. Mom explained it a little. Nicole and I talked about it. Sounds like maybe, you know, it__'__s been a little busy.__" __And not like he was hiding it from them. Or avoiding them. Which is what they__'__d both thought was maybe happening. He told them about the baby, and he told them about this new girlfriend, and it all seemed to come out of nowhere. Then his mother explained it all. How hard it had been, how up in the air everything was. That they__'__d almost lost the baby and that maybe things were finally settling down a little bit. Or they were, before his dad got shot. That made it hard to stay upset with him, hearing all of that. __"__Dad, why didn__'__t you tell us?__"_

_Andy sighed. Long and deep, and it made his side ache. __"__I didn__'__t want to worry you. I wanted to see what was going to happen first. Then I wanted to let you make up your own mind, about whether or not you wanted to know them. That__'__s a decision you__'__ve got to make.__" __It was the first time he__'__d really taken a stand with either of his children. He was usually more patient, waiting, wondering. Andy shook his head when Sharon looked at him, concern in her gaze. __"__We__'__ve all got our own lives, Charlie. I__'__m always going to be here for you. I know what you said before, about hoping I__'__d be happy with my _new life_. It__'__s not a new life, son, it__'__s the same life, just new people in it.__" _

"_Yeah.__" __Charlie said. __"__I think I get that. I thought__…" __He paused. __"__I don__'__t know what I thought. When you told us about her, I guess we just both thought that she was another one of your, you know, the younger women you date.__" _

"_Well, she is younger than me.__" __Andy smirked. __"__I think the cradle robbing analogy that you__'__re looking for still equates. Even if she is _old_ by your__'__s and Nicole__'__s standards.__" __That had Sharon straightening and turning. He watched as her eyes narrowed and he shrugged. __"__You know, maybe we could change the subject and you could tell me about school, before this hole I__'__m digging for myself gets any deeper.__" _

_Charlie paused. Then he realized she must be in the room with his dad. He snorted a laugh. __"__God, you said all that in front of her? Nicole was right. You really are a spaz, old man.__" _

"_Hey.__" __Andy frowned. __"__Stop maligning your poor, old man. He__'__s injured. Now, school. I see the tuition bills, now I want to know how it__'__s going.__" __That was another way in which Sharon kept pointing out that he differed from Jack. He was helping Vicki pay for his kids__' __education. He had paid every dime of child support that was ordered in their divorce and custody arrangement, and when the kids had turned eighteen, first Nicole and then Charlie, he stopped. He paid part of the tuition instead, since it was needed more. That was one thing Vicki could never fault him on, and God knew that woman could fault him on a lot. He had never cheated, and he had never _not _supported his kids. Even when he was too drunk to know what day of the week it was, or too busy feeling sorry for himself to pull his head out of one case after another, those checks always made it to her on time. _

_He leaned back a little in his chair and winced. He waved Sharon back when she started toward him. Hell, he was sore, he didn__'__t need her hovering. __"__Your mom said you might not play ball this year,__" __Andy continued. _

"_Rotator cuff is giving me hell,__" __Charlie sighed. __"__We__'__re working on it in the off season, but yeah. I__'__m thinking maybe I__'__m done. I was never going to play after college. Baseball was fun, but I__'__m not that good. I__'__m more interested in school. How damned sad is that? I__'__m turning into Nicole. She__'__s never going to let me hear the end of it, you know? But it doesn__'__t matter. I want to get out of here and start building stuff.__" _

_Charlie was an architect major who sometimes spent his summers working for contracting companies for the added experience. He would be designing the things that others built, but it helped to have a good foundation. Andy was proud of him for that. __"__Hey, I get it. You__'__ve only got a year left, and you don__'__t want to blow it paying attention to something that isn__'__t going to take you anywhere. It__'__s not sad. I think that__'__s called being an adult. I__'__m still trying to figure it out myself.__" __Andy rolled his eyes when Sharon laughed, unable this time to suppress it._

_His son heard the giggle through the phone line. __"__Is that her?__"_

"_Yeah.__" __Andy was making a face at her. __"__That__'__s her. See what I__'__ve been saying? She__'__s mean, son. All the good ones are.__" _

"_Nah, just sounds like maybe she__'__s got your number is all.__" __Charlie smirked. _

"_You have no idea,__" __Andy said drily. __"__Tell you what, when you__'__re home over the holidays, we should get together. You can meet her for yourself. You know, meet the little guy too.__"_

_Charlie hesitated. He didn__'__t know if he was ready for that yet. Knowing about his dad__'__s new family and meeting them were two different things. Nicole said she seemed nice. He thought maybe he__'__d wait until after Nicole really spent some time with them. Then he__'__d form an opinion. He knew that Nicole was thinking of taking them up on a dinner invitation. What were older sisters for if not to test out the waters when Dad got involved with someone new? __"__Sounds like an idea,__" __he said finally. __"__You know, we__'__ll see how things go.__"_

"_I can handle that.__" __Sharon was watching him curiously. When he smiled, her brows lifted._

"_Good.__" __Charlie replied. __"__Listen, Dad__… __I__'__ll check on you again later in the week. I need to go, I kind of have a date later. Don__'__t worry__…" __He paused. __"__She__'__s mean too.__" _

_Andy laughed out loud. __"__Good. Keeps us in line.__" _

After he hung up, the goofy grin just couldn't be stopped. "He said we'd see." Andy shrugged as he put the phone aside finally.

"That's good." Sharon finished folding the towel that was in her hands and dropped it onto the sofa. She walked toward him and leaned against the arm of his chair, on his uninjured side. Her fingers combed through his hair. "They'll be okay. Both of them. They love you." Even as horrible as Jack was, she knew that Ricky and Emily still loved him. They were angry at him now, but that never lasted. They'd give him another chance. Not because he needed it, but because _they _did. In this case, Andy was earning the chances that his children were giving him. "It's going to work out," she told him. "You'll get there."

He curled his arm around her waist and drew her down beside him. It hurt like hell to do it, and he groaned quietly, but Andy kept his arm wrapped around her. The chair was wide enough for both of them, especially now that she wasn't pregnant anymore. "Where did you come from?" It was a question she had once asked him. He grinned crookedly at her when she rolled her eyes at him.

"The mean girlfriend factory, apparently," Sharon drawled. She sniffed at him. "All the good ones are mean?"

"Yeah." He leaned down and kissed the line that was forming between her brows. "Who else is going to keep me on my toes, stop me from being an idiot, and put up with all my bad habits. Like this ugly eyesore of a chair I love so much."

She groaned. "You know, Andy, if you really loved me…"

His eyes narrowed. "Don't ask me to choose between you and this chair, Sharon." The corners of his mouth twitched, but he suppressed the urge to grin. "I had it first."

She heaved a sigh. "Yes, but you're asking me to choose between you and my couch." Her lips turned down into a pout. "I love that couch. I've had it a long time. You happen to like that couch too."

The way her eyes were sparkling had him grinning crookedly. Yes, they did like that couch. It was comfortable for all sorts of things. Andy's head tipped. "You know, when you put it that way… we should keep the couch. It makes this whole idea that furniture needs to match really ridiculous. Don't you think?"

"Hm." Sharon was really thinking about the couch now. She moved out of his recliner and walked toward the kitchen. "No, it should go." She figured it was probably a bad idea to tell him that Joey was made on that couch. Especially since he wasn't involved in those activities. "If you insist on keeping the chair, then the furniture has to go. Probably the rug too…"

Andy's eyes narrowed. She had gotten all fidgety. He craned his head and watched her move around the kitchen through the open door. She stood at the counter and poured a glass of tea. The real give away was the way she reached up and scratched her forehead. His jaw dropped open. "_Sharon_!" He slanted a look at the couch, and then the rug. He thought about it and them for a moment. His head inclined. He waited for her to come back into the room with her glass, and another for him. He tipped his head back and grinned at her crookedly. He was almost leering when his eyes moved first down and then back up her body. He slanted a purposeful look at both items. "Yeah, but we did it better."

She put the tea glass on the table beside his chair and rolled her eyes at him. "What am I going to do with you?" Sharon sighed. But she tilted her head and smiled indulgently at him. He really was something.

He continued to grin crookedly back at her. "I can think of a few things. I can think of a lot of things actually." His dark eyes sparkled merrily. "Most of them, my head is say let's go, but my stitches are reminding me that we should probably wait."

Sharon snorted at him. She leaned down to kiss him. "You are nothing but trouble," she drawled.

"Yeah, but that's the way you like me." He curled a hand behind her head and pulled her close for another kiss. When her lips curved upward against his, he smirked. "Just tell me that the table is unsullied and we'll be fine."

She snorted another laugh and bowed her head against his shoulder. Sharon laughed, but tried to muffle the sound to keep from waking the baby. "You really are horrible," she said.

"Yes." He tugged on her arm and pulled her back into the chair with him. This time he eased over and it hurt less. When she curled up against his side, he let his hand slide down to her thigh while the other one slipped into her hair. "You really hate the recliner that much?"

"No, it's fine." He loved it. It was rather comfortable. She tucked her face against his neck and hummed quietly. She was just happy to have him home. "It's ugly, but it can stay."

He grunted quietly. "Love me, love my damned recliner, is that it?" He felt her smile against his neck. His fingers combed gently through her hair.

"That's it, exactly," she murmured. A tremor worked its way through her. She'd come too close to losing him. The recliner was really so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. "Charlie is okay?" She asked instead, turning the conversation back to more important topics.

"He's good." His smile softened. "It's hard to believe he's all grown up now. It goes so fast." His arms tightened around her.

"I know." Her lips brushed the curve of his jaw. "Ricky is graduating this year. Emily is in New York. It feels like only yesterday that I was…" She sighed quietly. "Living my life between their feedings, or running around trying to make little league games and dance recitals. I look at them now and it's so hard to believe they were ever that small."

He followed her gaze and smiled. Joey slept on, completely oblivious to the world around him. His little mouth was puckered and would occasionally move. "With Nic and Charlie too," he said. "It is kind of weird, looking at him and thinking about the other four. Are we really doing this again?"

"Hm." She hummed quietly and smiled. "We really are." Sharon lifted her head and smiled at him. "We'll figure out a way to make it work. With Charlie and Nicole, and everyone that is involved. We'll find a way."

His brows lifted. "We?" It was his turn to grin about it. "So we're a _we_ now," he teased.

"Oh," she shrugged. "I think we definitely are. You're not going anywhere, pal." She poked his chest with her finger and made a face. "Keep trying, but I have it on very good authority that I'm mean."

"I like you mean." He grinned up at her. "It's damned sexy." When she rolled her eyes, he chuckled. "I'm not kidding. My best friend is cute, sexy, and mean. She doesn't take any crap off of anyone, least of all me. She's smart, she's funny, and the best part is…"

Sharon's brows lifted. "Oh, I can't wait to hear this." Her lips curved upward. This was usually the part where he turned a great compliment into something incredibly crude. Her green eyes sparkled down at him. "What is the best part?"

His head inclined. Oh, he was taking that as a challenge. His brown eyes gleamed. "She really likes my salty—"

She clapped a hand over his mouth. "Not in front of the baby." Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. She smiled indulgently down at him. "You really are horrible."

"Hey." Andy shrugged. "Those are important lessons for him to learn. I can't have him turning out completely like his old man. I'm going to teach him exactly how to find girls like you." He arched a brow at her. "Sweet, funny, beautiful, and fierce."

"Fierce?" Her brows lifted. She was smiling warmly at him. His other words had the desired effect on her.

"Oh yeah." He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Even when you're scared you keep going. When it hurts, you go even farther. Fierce." When her face settled into a soft look, he pulled her down against him again. She snuggled into his side and he grinned. "It also helps that you've got a great body and you know how to—" He trailed off when she pinched his arm. "Yes dear."

She could hear the laughter in his tone. Sharon rolled her eyes at him. He was an absolutely horrible man, but she couldn't love him more. "Well, while you're teaching him that," she said. "Think you can teach him how to be just like you?"

"Just like me huh?" Andy's voice rasped, thick and husky. He looked down at her. "Sure that's a good idea?" He knew his failings. They were many and well catalogued.

"I do." She looked up at him and smiled gently. "I think he should be just like his father. Smart, funny, and strong. Strong enough to realize what he is and what he's doing, and strong enough to fight through it. You aren't always right, and you don't always succeed, but you keep fighting. You keep trying. That matters. Even when you're wrong, even when you fail, it matters." Her hand stroked his chest. "He's going to fail, Andy. We all do. We make mistakes. It's how we pick ourselves up and work through them that define us. You do that everyday." Sharon reached up and cupped his face. Her thumb stroked his bottom lip. "I've never asked that my children be perfect. None of us are perfect. I've only asked that they be kind. That they do their best. That they follow their hearts and their dreams, and the dictates of their conscience. I want that for Joey too. I'm proud of my children, and I know that I'll be proud of him too. But I want him to be a man that _he_ can be proud of. That's you," she said softly.

It never ceased to surprise him the way that she could see him. Seated as they were in his recliner, he tipped her face upward and caught her lips in a gentle kiss. His hand cupped the back of her head as his mouth angled over hers. He forgot all about his side, and the throbbing ache that was working its way through him. Instead, all he felt was her, and the breathless thrill that settled over him at just how completely that she could love. She had every reason to distrust him. Every reason to turn away. Yeah, she was fierce alright, and he was damned lucky. If he taught Joey nothing else in his life, it would be to find a woman like his mother and hold on for dear life.

He captured her hand with his, and his thumb caressed the unfamiliar feel of the ring she still hadn't taken off. "How about _we_ teach him that," he rumbled against her mouth. His nose nuzzled her cheek, and when she smiled, he kissed the tip of her nose.

"I think I can live with that," she said quietly. She snuggled closer, but was careful of him, even as she wrapped her leg around his. Sharon tucked her face against his neck and sighed quietly.

"So tell me…" He lifted her hand, pressed his lips against her palm. "Want to get married?"

"Hm." She smiled against his neck. "Joey wants his parents to be official," she stated, recalling just how he'd proposed.

"You know," Andy said. "It occurs to me that someday, maybe we could learn to communicate like adults." When she started laughing, he turned his face into her hair. He loved that sound. When she tipped her head back and he looked down, he felt his own smile broaden. There was something about the way her eyes lit up when she was happy. How they crinkled at the corners and shined at him. It made his heart beat a little faster to know that he was putting that look there. He had seen her pain, and too much of it; his chest ached at the thought. Seeing her happiness made his heart swell.

"Well, when you put it that way." She curled into him again, and continued to smile. "I absolutely do. Pick a date and I'm there."

"Me?" Andy's brows lifted in surprise. He wondered if maybe the stress had gotten to her finally. She was leaving this up to _him_? He felt her tremble against him, and realized immediately it was more laughter. "Not funny, Sharon."

"Who's laughing?" She looked up at him again. She smiled warmly. "At least not about that. I'm serious. Pick a date. I'll be there. This one is on you. Whenever you want, wherever you want. I'm all yours."

He blinked at her. She was being serious. He could tell in just how serene she was about it. She'd made up her mind and there was no changing it. "Just like that?" His grin slowly returned.

"Just like that," she repeated. She lay her head against his shoulder again and sighed. "I'm not thinking about it anymore. It's just going to happen. No more worrying. No more waiting. Just you and me, and our kids. Yours, mine, and Joey."

"Your parents too," He said, knowing that there was no way around that.

"Yes, that would be nice." Sharon shrugged. She rubbed his chest and let her eyes close. "Whatever. I'm sure you'll make it wonderful."

"Really." When she only hummed in response, Andy shook his head. His hand slipped into her hair again. He felt her relaxing against him and just smiled. She was giving herself over to him completely. No more worries and no more wondering. He turned his face into her hair. "It will be great," he promised. That was a promise that he knew that he could keep. No matter what else happened, he could make her happy in the time that they had together, however long that was.

"I know." She nuzzled his neck, smiled against his skin. "That's why I trust you. It's why I love you. It's why I'm proud of who you are, Andy." It was why she wanted him. It was why she wanted this, the two of them. The way they were now, so simple and comfortable, and happy. She was content just to lay there, to feel him against her and know without a shadow of a doubt that he belonged there. It wasn't a thought, it was a feeling. It was an instinct, this need she had to run toward him rather than away. They were completely imperfect people, but together, they weren't exactly perfect, but they were better. She knew what it meant now, that saying, that someone was her better half.

A soft mewl came from the swing. They looked at one another and waited. When a second, soft cry sounded, Andy's eyes crinkled and he smiled. "He gets jealous. I'll work on that."

"Hm." Sharon moved carefully. She rolled over the side of the chair and walked toward the swing. Joey was screwing his little face up and getting ready to start crying. She unclipped the harness and lifted him out of the swing. She settled him against her shoulder and rubbed his back. He wouldn't be hungry, but he did need a diaper. She took care of that and retrieved Andy's pain meds before she moved back to the chair to rejoin him.

Settling into the chair alongside Andy with the baby and trying not to hurt him, that was an entirely new adventure, but one worth exploring. She lay Joey on Andy's chest and then she eased down beside the pair. She lay her hand against his back and rubbed gentle circles while she snuggled into Andy's side again. Joey settled down easily enough. He drew his legs beneath him and they heard him sigh before he settled back into his nap.

"I wasn't the only one who missed you," Sharon murmured quietly.

"Well he only listens to me." He leaned his head against hers. His hand settled beneath the baby's bottom, holding him in place. His other arm was wrapped around Sharon again. He let his eyes close. A small smile curved his lips. "So… maybe the recliner isn't so bad."

"I can learn to love it," Sharon decided. "It could very quickly become my new favorite place." She hummed quietly as she relaxed against him. They were safe here, with him, she and Joey. They had been safe with him from the start. Odd, she never imagined it turning out like this. Not even in her wildest imaginings. As she let herself drift, she let go of the pain and the fear that the events of the weekend had created. She embraced the warmth, the security and the hope that lay before them. The world fell away, not unimportant, but held at bay for now.

It was just the three of them. Drifting toward slumber in his eyesore of a recliner. The best piece of furniture in the room.


	22. Chapter 22

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

_Case dismissed_.

The words were still ringing in her ears. They stood outside the courtroom, waiting for Gavin to finish up and gather his things. It was over.

Sharon tipped her head back against the wall and exhaled quietly. The last few weeks had been chaotic. With Andy's shooting and the lawsuit moving toward this moment, it felt as though she couldn't breathe.

It was over. Finally she could inhale without a weight pressing down on her chest. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her lavender jacket and drew a deep breath. Her thumb toyed with the engagement ring. She was still wearing it. It hadn't come off her finger. Plans were now in motion for an actual wedding, but even only a couple of weeks away, it seemed a bit abstract. Still, she's was wearing it.

She was going to keep wearing it.

A smile curved her lips. She lifted her head at the familiar tread of shoes against tile. She looked down the hall and spied him, heading toward her. Provenza was beside him. They'd gotten stuck wrapping up the case and were late making it to the courthouse.

He held out his hands as he approached. "What happened?" Obviously the judgement had been passed if they were all standing around in the corridor outside the courtroom.

She blinked at him. Sharon smiled. It slowly curved her lips upward. "It's over," she said quietly. "The judge dismissed the case."

Provenza slapped his shoulder, hard, in celebration before he turned away to congratulate the Chief. Andy was focussed on Sharon. She was still leaning against the wall, her hands tucked into her pockets. She was smiling back at him. It was over. It was done. The relief of it was a little bit heady. He could understand her reticence to move. He almost felt a little lightheaded with it too. Andy took a step toward her, watched her smile widen. "It's done," he said quietly.

"It is." She nodded once. "Gavin won. I told you that he would." She never had any doubt that he'd find some miracle to pull out of his sleeve. That was Gavin. He always came through for her in the end, and while this wasn't necessarily for _her_, she did have a vested interest.

They continued to stare at one another for a moment. Then he did something he rarely did in front of the others, and certainly not in public, professional locations such as this one. He pulled her away from the wall and into his arms. When her arms slid around him and she held on just as tightly, he wasn't really surprised. It felt like they had been living a little bit for this moment. Now it was here, and it was wonderful. All around them people were celebrating.

A door was finally closed. Another one could open. Andy leaned back and looked down at her again. There was a lightness about her. One which had been missing for a while now. The quiet happiness she had over the summer, before her maternity leave ended, it was back. He flipped her hair back behind her shoulder and grinned.

It was a moment to be celebrated.

Andy reached beside her onto the bench where she had left her purse. "Come with me." He took her hand and tugged her along behind him.

"Where are we going?" She chuckled and followed along. She was curious enough to see where this was going to let him draw her through the corridor. When they passed Brenda and she frowned at them, Sharon only shrugged. It was her, _don__'__t look at me, I can__'__t control him_ look. Brenda rolled her eyes and Sharon fought the urge to giggle. If there was one thing that the two of them could agree on, one hundred percent of the time, it was the antics of Andy Flynn.

Andy waited until he had her down the hall and well away from the others. "To do something we've both been wanting to do for a while." He turned and thrust her purse into her hands. He pulled the side pocket open and tugged the marriage license out of it. They'd gotten that only a week ago. Because no matter how this had turned out, they were driving up to see her parents in a couple of weeks. Emily was flying in, and Ricky was joining them for the weekend. They were having Joey's Christening. They were getting married beforehand. Nicole and Charlie were coming for the event, but neither was staying beyond that.

The kids were all going to be meeting for the first time. It was going to be awkward and probably a little stressful. It didn't much matter, it was going to be great, even with all of that. It was what they wanted. What they had been waiting for. What they were doing no matter what.

"We'll still do the real thing with your folks and the kids in a couple of weeks." Andy wiggled the license at her. "But that isn't for us. It's for them. It's Joey's weekend, really, and we'll still do it all. Right now, I think we should go downstairs and do this for us. Just you and me. We've waited long enough. The damned thing is over. Let's celebrate it."

Air left her lungs in a rush. The surprise rolled through her. She laughed. When she told him that he was in charge of the planning, this was the last thing she expected. Sharon supposed it was the last thing he expected too. Once again, he was acting without thinking. She could see it in the almost nervous way that he watched her. He was impulsive. But his heart was in the right place. It almost always was. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth.

"_Flynn_!"

Sharon's eyes widened at the sound of his partner's voice. "Oh god. Let's hurry up." She turned him around and pushed him toward the elevator. "Before one of them does something else that's going to make my life difficult."

Andy barked a laugh as she practically manhandled him around the bend in the corridor, to where the elevator bank resided. He reached out and slapped the button to take them downstairs. The second floor would be their destination. "He probably figured it out already."

"_Flynn!_"

Sharon laughed at the aggrieved sound of his partner's voice. "Oh, I think so too…"

Heavy footfalls approached. Andy's eyes widened. "I think he's actually running." The door opened behind them and he grabbed her. He pulled her into the elevator with him. He kept an arm wrapped around her as he reached out and quickly banged on the button to close it.

"_FLYNN! Don__'__t be an idiot!__" _

Andy slapped the button again. That time the voice was distinctly closer. "Yeah," he grunted. "He's running." The door started to close and he stepped further back with Sharon in his arms.

She laughed, just a little helplessly at the pair of them. "You two are insane." She turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his waist. "Are you sure?" Her brows lifted. "We don't have to do this now. It can wait."

"What?" Andy frowned at her. "Let that cantankerous old wind bag try to talk me out of it? The hell you say!" He grinned. "I've got ten bucks that says he gets one of the kids to take the stairs."

"No bet." Sharon smirked. "Julio won't do it, and Gabriel doesn't like me enough to care." Her eyes glittered. "He'll wait for the elevator. We'd better be fast."

"I've got a better idea." Andy reached into his pants for his phone. He sent Sanchez a text. _Getting hitched, don__'__t tell anyone. You__'__re still her favorite. Stall him!_

Sharon pressed her face against his shoulder and laughed. "You're insane!"

"Says you. You're the one in love with me. Makes you crazier than I am." He kept his arm around her and watched as the elevator moved steadily downward. When they reached the second floor, he grinned widely. He took her hand as the doors opened. He stepped out of the elevator and held his other hand against the door to keep it from closing. "What do you say?"

"In no way am I crazier than you are." She stepped off the elevator with a smirk. "Let's do this before Julio resorts to using his gun and I get called back upstairs to clear him."

"Oh my god." Andy's jaw hung open as she walked past him. "He really is your favorite, isn't he?" When she only shot a sultry, teasing look at him from over her shoulder, Andy hurried after her. "That's right, you go ahead and smile honey. I'm telling everyone that Darth Raydor plays favorites. Right after I marry her."

Quick and simple. There were no rings, but there were promises, and there were signatures. Then it was done. It took all of fifteen minutes. Three for the actual ceremony, ten spent waiting their turn, and two on paperwork. It was the middle of the week. There was only one other couple in front of them. The beginning and end of the week were busy times for the JP's office, but the middle of the week… well, simple, civil weddings really didn't happen then. It was also late in the day. That worked in their favor.

They'd had a text from Julio while they waited. _Chief corralled him, we__'__re headed back to the Murder Room. _

There was cake and cider and a celebration that was just getting underway when they joined them. Gavin shook his finger at her as she walked past, Sharon just smiled serenely and shrugged. She would fill him in later. This moment wasn't exactly about them. They had only taken advantage of it.

Impulsive? Definitely. Reckless? Not at all. At least, Sharon didn't think so. They'd found a break in the storm. They were utilizing it.

"What did you do?" The question came from Fritz. He was smirking at the pair of them as Sharon joined them. From the corner of his eye he watched his wife speaking with Pope. He shoved a hand into his pocket and shook his head at them. "Tell me now, because I don't want to listen to it all night," he teased.

"Oops." Andy smirked at him. Sharon stood beside him. His hand moved down her back. It settled against her waist. "We didn't do anything. You know. Just kind of… took advantage of our surroundings. It's a nice courthouse. She was there. I was there. The JP's office was still open. I figured, what the hell."

"Wait." Gabriel leaned around Agent Howard and stared at them. "You got married?" He blinked. "_Today_?"

"Yeah." Andy shrugged. "About twenty minutes ago."

"Twenty-five." Sharon reached for Andy's wrist and turned his watch toward her. "Twenty-seven, actually." Her brows lifted. She smiled sweetly at the Sergeant. He had been on his best behavior but he was still not her biggest fan. "We're busy people, Sergeant. We take our opportunities where we can find them."

"So _that_ is why Lieutenant Provenza was having a fit?" Gabriel laughed. "We all thought he was going to have a stroke before the Chief told him to knock it off. He made it sound like you were sneaking off to… do something else entirely." He let go of a breath and looked relieved. "Congratulations!"

His relief had Sharon turning. She looked up at Andy, a brow arched. "Do we say thank you?"

"I think so." He frowned. "I mean, he's kind of young. I think we're supposed to ignore his disgust at what he _thinks_ we were doing. Kind of like we do with Ricky."

"Right." She turned back to the younger detective. "Thank you, Sergeant… David."

"Hey, everyone, listen up!" Julio stepped away from the small crowd that had formed near the cake. He grinned widely. "While we were all picking up cake and drinks…" He pointed at where the Lieutenant and Captain stood. "They got married."

"Yeah." Provenza snorted. "Like the idiots they are." He made a face at them. "I can't believe you went and did that without me. Now I'm going to have to drive north. Do you have any idea the miles you could have saved me if you just let me witness it _now_!" He threw his hands up at them. "You two drive me crazy, I hope you know that."

"Lieutenant." Sharon smiled at him. "You're going to have to drive north anyway if you're going to be Joey's godfather. You have to be at the Christening."

Provenza blinked at them. He sat forward in his chair and nearly spilled his drink. "You weren't joking about that?"

"No." She laughed. "I wasn't joking about that. Why would I joke about something like that? This is my son we're talking about, Lieutenant. I never joke about my kids."

When he went speechless, Andy laughed. "Someone take a picture of this moment. It's too priceless to pass up."

His partner recovered enough to make a face at him. "Bite me."

Fritz chuckled quietly where he stood. "I hope you understand that you just married both of them."

Sharon shook her head. She laughed as Andy moved away to malign his partner more thoroughly without having to shout it across the murder room. "Agent Howard, you have no idea."

Fritz nodded in the direction that his wife had gone with Pope. "Any idea what that was about?"

"No." Sharon shrugged. "You'll forgive me if I say that right now, I really don't want to know either. I think I've had my fill of Major Crimes. Professionally, anyway. I'm looking forward to doing something else for a while."

"That's a feeling I'm more than a little acquainted with." He shook his head. The two of them stood at the edge of the room. They watched as those still present joined into the teasing. "They're a handful, aren't they?"

"That they are." She shook her head. "For a while, I'm hoping they can be someone else's handful. I'm going to let my people handle their cases for a while, I think."

"You can try." Fritz smirked. "You spoiled them." He slanted a look at her. "They aren't going to let anyone else in. Your people tried it when you were on maternity leave. It was horrible. I'm afraid you're stuck with them now, Captain."

She sighed. "I'm afraid you could be right." Sharon shook her head and smiled. She rolled her eyes as Andy and Provenza launched into a game of whose encounter with the City Attorney's office had been more horrible, all the while Gavin egged them on. He really did love being the center of attention. "Oh god," she groaned quietly as the two grown men started bickering. They could be worse than children.

Fritz laughed. "Good luck with that."

Sharon cut a look at him. "Thanks a lot." She squared her shoulders and then walked over to break it up before it could completely digress.

Fritz watched her progress. When she ended up taking Provenza's side in the argument, much to her new husband's quite vocal dismay, he tried to hide his laugh in his drink, but almost choked on it instead. That was going to make for one hell of an interesting marriage. The best ones usually were.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

The conference room looked as though a copier had exploded in it. From the moment that Chief Johnson returned, looking pale and shaken, the evening's celebration had faded. It was gone in a matter of moments. They knew, even as she called Gavin, Fritz, and Pope into her office that something had gone wrong.

They couldn't imagine how wrong.

A cloud settled over the Murder Room. Dread began to churn. Then the door opened. Pope looked out and his furious gaze found the Captain. She was called inside and that was it. Whatever doubts they had about the turn that the evening had taken, became full fledged concerns.

That was hours ago. The cake and cider were gone. The celebratory atmosphere disappeared with them. Case files were brought out and now covering the table in the conference room. They didn't know exactly which cases Goldman would be going with in his new, Federal lawsuit, but he mentioned specific instances. Those cases were now laid out on the table while Sharon and Gavin poured through them.

"My god, do they even think?" Gavin lowered his head into his hands. He shook it slowly as he stared at the words laid out on paper in front of him. They didn't even try to hide it.

"It's easy to pass judgement in hindsight, Gavin." Sharon sat back in her seat and sighed. Her jacket was long gone. She dropped her glasses onto the open files in front of her and rubbed at her temples. "If you look at the end result first, it colors the events leading up to it. We need to look at their actions and prove the result was unrealized."

"We need to find out how he knew about all of that." Gavin leaned back in his chair. He tossed his own glasses onto the table and pinched the bridge of his nose. "These cases are spread out across years. How did he know to go to _these_? He pulled specific examples, and pointed them out like he was proud of them." He looked across the table at her. "Phillip Stroh, Sharon? He's never been charged. What they have are theories at best. The evidence isn't even circumstantial. How does he know about _that_?"

"We have a leak." Sharon sighed. "There's no denying it now. They can't sweep it under the rug. We're going to have to find it and stop it. Before Peter Goldman gets any other hints and adds to his lawsuit."

"You mean _you_ have to find it." Gavin shook his head at her. "I have to handle all of this." He spread his hands out to indicate the paper storm that covered the table. "I don't envy you with that."

"No," she said quietly. "Neither do I." Sharon placed her hands against the table and stood up. "They're going to close ranks. It isn't going to be easy." She shook her head and turned away. Her arms folded across her chest. "They don't want to believe it. I can't say that I blame them. It's hard to think that one of your own could be selling you out to the enemy. They all seemed so happy a little while ago. It was over. Now it's only just beginning. I can't imagine that any one of them would be responsible for this." She looked through the open blinds and into the Murder Room. The hour had grown late. Daycare was closed. Sharon glanced at her watch. It closed half an hour ago. Her eyes tracked Andy as he moved across the room with Joey on his shoulder, the diaper bag and carseat in his other hand. She reached up and rubbed the tension out of the back of her neck. One of them would need to take him home.

Gavin moved alongside her. "So much for the honeymoon." He glanced down when she hummed. "Go home, Sharon. I'll wrap this up. I have a few more notes to make. I'll email them to you in the morning. We're not going to solve this thing tonight. We only just scratched the surface. I want to tear it apart."

"I need to go over every single detail in those files with each of them," She said. He was right, she couldn't do that tonight. First she needed to delve into the cases and pull all of the records and warrants. On top of that, she had a strict mandate from Pope. She was to stop the bleed before it got any worse. She was now his own personal Major Crimes bandaid. Sharon had been assigned to watch them. She was going to shadow their movements, follow every case.

"It's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better," Gavin pointed out. "In the end, they probably aren't going to thank us." His head inclined. "Winning doesn't always mean being the most popular belle at the ball."

"No it doesn't." She sighed again. Sharon shook her head. "Let's burn one bridge at a time, shall we?"

"That's my girl." He reached over and tugged her jacket off the back of the chair that she was previously occupying. "Go home," he said again. "Kiss the baby, cuddle the man. Or cuddle the baby and kiss the man." He waved a hand through the air. "I always get confused at the order of those things."

It made her smile, weak though it was. "Yes, I think I will." She didn't go into detail about which. Instead, she turned and picked up her glasses from the table. Sharon took her jacket from him. "Don't stay too late, Gavin. Even you need your beauty sleep."

"Oh darling, I have botox." He winked at her. "Now run along, or I will, and leave you to this mess."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Goodnight, Gavin."

She took a deep breath before she pushed through the door. The activity in the murder room seemed to stop as her appearance drew the attention of those still present. She ignored the looks cast in her direction, some of them curious, others accusing. They were all upset by the direction that the evening had taken. She couldn't blame them for that. Sharon was feeling much the same way. She ignored them. Sharon didn't have it in her to deal with them in that moment. She knew that if this confrontation was had, and she surely expected it to become a confrontation, that she might say something she would regret.

Instead, she turned her attention to the man who was standing at his desk, a baby on his shoulder while he gathered his things. Sharon moved up alongside him and took the diaper bag from his hand. She finished sliding the baby's things into it before she glanced up at him. "Are we ready to go?"

Andy looked down at her, a brow raised in surprise. "Are we?" He figured she would be there a while longer. She and Gavin looked fairly well buried by the paperwork that they were pouring through. "Looked like you'd be a while. I can get the kid home. It's fine."

"No." Sharon sighed quietly. "I've gone as far as I'm willing to tonight. Gavin has a few more notes to make. We'll go over them in the morning." That was really all she could say on the matter. She couldn't discuss the approach she would take on the investigation, since that was truly what it was. The Chief could call it an audit all he liked, but Sharon was going to be investigating each and every member of Major Crimes along with their conduct during the cases cited in the new lawsuit.

She was quiet. A bit subdued. The light in her eyes had been dimmed, and he knew why. Or thought he did, anyway. The day had gone to hell in a hand basket, and rather than going out to dinner to celebrate as they'd talked about, he was taking her home to brood. "Then let's get out of here. I think I've seen as much of this place as I want to today." Andy rubbed Joey's back as he watched Sharon pull the diaper bag, and then her purse, over her shoulder. "Trade with me."

Sharon looked up as he reached for the carseat she had only just lifted. He took it in one hand and leaned toward her with Joey. She took the baby from him and the gentle weight settling in her arms helped to assuage some of her bruised and anxious nerves. She let him take the diaper bag off her shoulder too and felt herself smirking just a bit. There he was, big, tough, hot-tempered guy, carrying a baby seat and diaper bag. When he placed his hand against the small of her back she moved closer, walking nearer to him than she normally would allow, so that their bodies brushed as they left the murder room.

They both had their cars. Andy walked Sharon to hers, and then snapped the carseat into the base that was already installed in its backseat. She had stopped driving her service vehicle for that reason. It remained parked at headquarters, and instead she moved the baby back and forth in her own vehicle. After Sharon buckled Joey into his seat and leaned back, prepared to take the diaper bag from Andy, he caught her arm instead.

He pulled her closer to him and tossed the diaper bag onto the floor of the car behind the passenger seat. His hands curled around her wrists as he drew her nearer to him. His eyes were dark, concerned as he looked down at her. "Are you okay?"

"Tired." She managed to find the energy for a small smile. "It's just been a long day. One that I'd like to see end." Sharon felt guilty for saying that, considering everything else that happened that day. She ducked her head and sighed. She hadn't meant it like that, but she was painfully aware of how it sounded. "I just want to go home," she said quietly.

"Hey." His thumbs swept the inside of her wrists. Andy saw beyond the words to the meaning behind them. "It's okay. It turned out to be a hell of a day." His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders. "Why don't you take Joey home, I'll stop for dinner."

"Hm." She nodded. "That sounds great. Something light maybe?" Her stomach was tied in knots. She wasn't especially hungry, but the calories were important as long as she was still nursing. That was something she wasn't willing to give up just yet, despite having to struggle with their schedules and work.

"I'll stop at the bistro," he told her. "Pick up some salads and soup." Andy drew her further away from the car and pushed the back passenger door closed. Then he walked her around to the drivers side and opened it for her. His lips brushed the corner of her mouth before he stepped back and let her slide into the car. She smiled again, but he noticed that her eyes didn't quite shine in the same way they had earlier.

Andy stepped further away from the car and waited as she pulled away. He watched until her taillights disappeared before he made his way to his own vehicle. They only had the gist of it. Goldman had taken his lawsuit Federal and was citing more cases for his cause. Whatever and gone on in the Chief's office, no one was talking about it. It seemed natural enough, to him anyway, that Sharon would be involved. That just as with the Terrell Baylor lawsuit, she would be auditing the events and getting underneath it.

They really had believed it was over. That their lives could begin. That they could get on with their work and back to normal routines. That building a life together would not be colored by the dark cloud of their work putting them on opposing sides.

Andy sighed as he slid in behind the wheel of his car. Whatever was going on inside her head, he knew that she wasn't going to share it with him until she felt more secure. That meant getting her home where she would be more comfortable, and with any luck, she would feel like sharing. The upside was that they were heading home, but the downside was that she still had the drive in which to close herself off and bury what was bothering her. Andy could only hope that he could pry open the armor before she had it firmly in place.

By the time that Andy got home, Sharon had Joey tucked into his crib and sound asleep. He wasn't quite sleeping through the night yet, but he would give them at least a few hours before he would wake expecting to be fed again. Andy moved through the house with two bags from the Bistro they both liked. There were two steaming bowls of tomato bisque and crisp, leafy salads for both of them.

He found Sharon in the kitchen when he stepped into it. She had changed into something far more comfortable than the suit and heels that she wore earlier in the day. Her hair was pulled back and twisted up into a clip, and she wore a soft, comfortable, baggy sweater with a pair of stretchy, black bicycle pants. Andy set the bags on the center island before moving behind her. She stood at the counter, hands moving with quick, practiced ease as she took bottles out of the sterilizer and filled them.

His arms wrapped around her from behind. He kept his embrace loose as he settled his chin against her shoulder. She capped each bottle, without a nipple, and set it into the cooler that would go into the fridge. This would go into the diaper bag in the morning, and on to Daycare with Joey. Andy turned his face into her neck. He knew that she tried to slip down to the third-floor daycare at least once during the day, but didn't always manage it. Joey's care was left up to the attendants. Her time with him was primarily spent during the early morning or late evening hours.

Sharon's hands stilled with the final bottle. She placed it into the cooler with a sigh. Then she leaned back against him and closed her eyes. She hummed quietly when she felt his lips brush her neck. Her hands moved to cover his. She stood there and let herself simply enjoy being held. Only for a few moments. Then she slipped away from him to place the cooler in the fridge.

He caught her as she came back. Andy backed her into the counter and lifted her. His side pulled when he did. It had only been just over two weeks since the shooting. He ignored it, however, and pushed her up onto the counter. His hands stroked the backs of her calves as he moved between her legs and settled her there. "You going to talk about it, or just walk around sulking all night?"

The challenge in his eyes had the desired effect. She snorted at him. Sharon rolled her eyes and shook her head. She drew a breath and let it out slowly. Her hands, which were gripping the edge of the counter, relaxed. She slipped them up his arms to his shoulders. A small smile tugged at her lips as she passed one of them over his hair. "I'm not sulking. I'm just…" She sighed again. "Enjoying the silence. You aren't going to like me much soon."

His brows lifted. "I always like you." His hands slid upward, along her thighs to settle against her hips. "So what? We've done this already. It's another audit. It's not like you're coming after us without a reason. You're keeping our asses out of a clinch. We know that."

"It's not quite that simple." His simple belief in her bought a more genuine smile. "I'm off the regular FID rotation. I'll be shadowing Major Crimes for the foreseeable future. Where I'll find time to do that and actually run my division, I have no idea, but there you have it. Chief Pope wants me keeping an eye on the division going forward. We don't want to give Peter Goldman anymore ammunition to use against us."

Andy's brows drew together. "Shadowing us?" His head inclined. "You mean following us around and auditing our ongoing cases? Not just the crap that Goldman pulled for his lawsuit." He shook his head at that. "What the hell is that going to prove?"

"It shows the Mayor that we're concerned enough about the lawsuit to tighten our internal security. In the meantime, I'm still tasked with finding the leak." Sharon settled her hands against his shoulders again. "It stops the Mayor from ordering your division dismantled. So now…" She shrugged. "I'm your babysitter."

He watched her drop her head. When she looked back up at him through her lashes, he saw the worry. Andy sighed. He reached out and tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. "You're a division head. He's got you playing hall monitor. Yeah…" Andy swore quietly. "That sounds like something Pope would come up with."

"Indeed." Sharon drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "I tried to dissuade him, but… Well, there was no _dissuading_ him."

Her eyes flashed in such a way that had Andy's narrowing. "What did he do?" His hands stroked up her sides before falling to lay against her hips again. "Sharon?"

She rolled her eyes. "He's an arrogant pig." She looked heavenward and drew a breath. "I told the Chief that he should find someone else to monitor your division. My objectivity could be called into question… particularly considering I had just married a member of the division I was being asked to monitor." Her teeth ground together. "I was told that if I can't keep my personal life out of his murder room, he'll find someone else who can do both of our jobs."

"Son of a bitch." Andy pushed away from the counter and turned away from her. He ran a hand through his hair. "So he won't let you recuse yourself, but you can bet your ass, he'll be throwing obstacles in your way every chance he gets." Andy shook his head. "Idiot."

"I won't disagree." She clasped her hands together against her lap and watched him pace the kitchen. "This is probably going to take a lot longer than the civil lawsuit. We could be looking at months worth of discovery and investigation. We'll need to make some arrangements for Joey if I'm going to be tagging along behind you to crime scenes."

Andy glanced back. She wasn't watching him anymore. She was staring at her hands. His eyes narrowed again. He walked back toward her. When she looked up, he saw the worry again. There was something in the way she voiced it. Added inflection and a hint of sarcasm. _Tagging along_. "Is that what you're worried about?" His hands slid up along the outside of her thighs again. He tugged her forward, closer to the edge of the counter. "You think I'm going to get sick of having you around?" He pushed down on the irritation.

"You don't need me telling you how to do your job." Sharon shrugged. "Sooner or later, that's going to get old. It's demeaning, Andy. To all of us." She looked away for a moment. "I've been here before, Andy. It's a hell of a way to start a marriage. I don't want to be your keeper. I don't want to be the nagging wife again."

Emotion had her voice hitching painfully. He slipped his arms around her waist. Now he understood what had been bothering her. "It's a little late for second thoughts, don't you think?" His voice rumbled gently.

"Hm." A small smile appeared. "That it is." She lay her hands against his chest. She smoothed out the wrinkles that had appeared in the blue and white button down. "No, I'm not having second thoughts. I want this. I do, that hasn't changed. I just didn't imagine this day would end quite like this. I wanted to see more of you, but not like this."

"Yeah?" Andy's head inclined. He leaned closer to her. "You know, I seem to remember telling you once that I'd make a homicide detective out of you. Now I've got the chance. I'm not exactly seeing the bad in any of it. So you get to walk around carrying your cute little clipboard and pretending to check off everything we do wrong. Big deal." He smirked at her. "In the meantime, we'll teach you how to be a real cop."

"Oh." Her brows lifted. She barked a quick laugh. "A _real_ cop? I see…" Sharon's lips pursed. She nodded slowly. "Well, when you put it that way," she simpered. "How could I possibly be upset about it."

"That's what I'm saying." He tugged her closer and caught her upturned lips in a quick kiss. "We'll have to figure it out," he said, much more quietly. "You're going to piss me off." He knew himself well enough to be able to admit that. "I'm going to piss you off." Andy shrugged. "It's what we do, it's how we've always worked together. We don't always agree or get along, but hell, Sharon… we've never brought it home before. How many times have we got into it here because of something stupid like wet towels left on the floor, we don't take that to work with us."

"I know." Her hands settled against his waist. "We've managed very well so far. I suppose I'm just worried how a prolonged lawsuit is going to affect everyone. You're going to be in the middle again. It isn't going to be easy. You may not like a lot of what I find or have to say." She was worried that might color their perception of each other. Their work was so much a part of who they were. "I love you," she said softly. "I'm exactly where I want to be. I wouldn't change what we did this afternoon. It was impulsive, and it was silly, and exactly what we both needed. I still can't wait to tell the kids about it. I'd just rather spend my days doing something more useful, not defending the purpose of my presence with your entire division."

"You're right." His hands moved into her hair. He tipped her head back. "It's a hell of a way to start this. Sharon, this is the most back-ass-wards relationship in the history of… anything that either of us have ever done. Would we be us if we weren't butting heads all day and making out all night?" Andy grinned at her. "You're going to drive me crazy, no doubt about that. I'm going to make you absolutely batshit. You'll be beating me with that broom before it's over with, and I'll probably try to shove it—" Her look made him break off that statement before he could finish it. The raised brow and pursed lips were a warning to him to tread more carefully. "That doesn't make you a nagging wife. You're not my keeper. You're doing your job. I don't have to like it. Sometimes I don't. But I still love you."

Warmth filled her eyes. She turned her face into his hand. Her lips brushed his palm. He had a way of seeing right through her fears and drawing her away from them. They were going to argue. They'd probably have some very interesting fights before the lawsuit saw some kind of conclusion. It wasn't going to be pretty. She doubted it would be a lot of fun. It was work. They didn't have to bring it home with them. They hadn't yet. Yes, they had delayed getting married, but that was behind them now. He was right, they had managed through the civil suit. They would manage through the Federal suit too. It was simply a matter of trying. Sharon hummed quietly before she let her gaze find him again. "I only have one request," she said quietly.

"Name it." His thumb caressed the familiar curve of her cheek. He leaned closer, let his lips brush the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were alight again, the gold flecks burned in their depths, making them shine at him. When she drew her bottom lip between her teeth, he groaned quietly and let his tongue sweep the reddened, abused skin.

Her lips curved against his mouth. Her hands slid slowly up his sides while her legs slipped around his hips to lock behind his thighs. "You don't do anything to make me send you to Anger Management," she said, voice thick and low. "I'm not dealing with your partner alone."

Those seminars weren't his idea of a good time either. "Deal." Andy's hands slipped down to capture the hem of her sweater. He bunched it in his hands as he moved them beneath it. The skin of her lower back was warm and smooth. He pulled her closer, until she was flush against him, and drew her into a slow, lingering kiss. When her hands moved into his hair, he tipped her face back and angled his mouth over hers, allowing it to deepen.

The baby monitor on the counter nearby crackled with static, and then the sounds of a crying baby. Sharon laughed quietly, a low, throaty sound. She pushed him back from her and slipped off the counter. "I'm not hungry anymore. Put dinner away. I'll settle him back down." He wouldn't be hungry, and should go back down easily enough, she thought. "Then maybe, if you're side is feeling up to it, we can find something a lot more interesting to do with the rest of this night."

His hands gripped her hips. He backed her up against the counter again. "I think my side is fine." A hand moved into her hair to cup the back of her head. His own lowered and he caught her mouth in another slow, languid kiss. When he lifted his head again to look down at her, he found her lips swollen and her eyes heavy, dark with desire. "Okay?"

"Hm." She nodded slowly. "Yes. We'll just go one day at a time." She leaned up and kissed the tip of his chin before moving around him. "Starting with today. We'll make it work." Only time would be able to determine how well, or not, they would handle the situation. She didn't doubt _them_, he'd helped her to focus on that. They would have to learn as they moved forward, much as they had been doing all along.

It was a hell of a way to start a marriage. It was the life they had. Neither of them was willing to trade it in.


	23. Chapter 23

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

"Why is Emily working in an Art Gallery?"

Sharon suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that she would be peppered with questions the minute that the children were out of the room.

She and Andy had driven up to her parents' home in Monterey for Joey's christening. She had forgotten what it was like to spend that many hours in a car with an infant, and was glad that they'd planned for an extended weekend just to manage the six hour drive. Emily had flown in to San Francisco earlier in the day and had driven down with Ricky. The two had arrived before Sharon and Andy, and spent that time filling their grandparents in on everything that was happening in their lives. This had obviously included the fact that Emily was currently working at an Art Gallery in Manhattan.

Sharon shook her head where she sat, in a wide, comfortable arm chair a cup of tea clasped in both hands while she watched her mother fuss and coo over the newest grandchild. They had only been there for an hour. That was time enough for them to get unpacked, Joey to be fed and changed, and her father to make off with Andy for a _chat_. Quite simply put, Sharon as more worried about _that_ situation than she was the disapproving look she was currently getting from her mother. She wondered if it would be in bad form to call her children back in to the den to save her own skin, or if she should simply make up an excuse to go find Andy.

Neither option seemed very likely, but it was worth thinking about.

"I thought she was going to dance," Miranda Campbell went on. "Isn't that the whole purpose of her having moved to the other side of the country? If it's a gallery she wants, or even an auction house, there are any number of those around here. She'd have even better luck in San Francisco. There's no reason for her to work in New York if that's all she's going to do."

She managed a patient smile and hummed quietly as she lifted the tea cup to her lips. Sharon let the warm liquid coat her tongue while she considered her response carefully. "Emily needs to pay rent," she said finally. She tilted her head and drew her legs up, folding them beneath her in the wide chair. "She's auditioning, but until she gets picked up by a dance company, she needs to be able to support herself. That was the point of her completing her degree and seeking a graduate degree. It's good experience. It won't be much longer, I'm sure."

"How can she possibly hope to audition enough to be noticed by a reputable company if she's spending all her time working at an art gallery." Miranda shook her head. She clucked her tongue at her daughter and bounced the baby in her arms. "Sharon, I understand that things are a little tight right now. Stanford isn't inexpensive, and the lawyer's fees and medical—"

"No." Sharon gave her mother a very pointed look. "None of that is even a factor," she said sternly. "Mom, I appreciate where you're going with this, but no. I was more than able to get Emily established in New York. This is something that _she_ needs to do. It's her dream, and she needs to accomplish it on her own. She's had help, Mom, and if she needs more, then she knows that she can come to me. Part of being an adult is learning how to stand on her own two feet. You will not offer to fund her apartment, and neither will Dad. I love you for offering, and I know that Emily would be touched by it too, but I just can't let you do that."

"Stubborn." Miranda sniffed. She lifted Joey in front of her and smiled at the baby. "That's something I'm afraid you're going to learn all too soon, little one. Your mother is absolutely, without a doubt, the most stubborn of all my children. Gets it from her father."

"Oh yes." Sharon chuckled quietly. "I'm sure that's exactly where I get it from." She smiled at the pair of them, eyes sparkling. Joey was soaking up the attention. He was such a little ham, this youngest child of hers. The more attention that was paid him, the more he smiled and cooed in response. Sharon snorted quietly. "He is his father's son."

Miranda's brow rose in response to that. She sat Joey in her lap and rubbed his back. "Which one?"

The question was very pointed. Sharon shook her head in response. "Mom." She rarely thought of Jack in relation to Joey. She tried not to think of Jack at all, but it was usually as it pertained to his place as father of her elder children. "Andy is his father. The only one he has as far as I'm concerned."

Miranda watched her gaze drift, following the direction that the man had gone with her father just a little while before. She smirked knowingly. "Well, you can't blame us for wanting to clarify the matter, Sharon. We're only just meeting Joey… and his father."

The urge to groan was strong, but she managed to hold it back. Instead, Sharon gave her mother an apologetic look, just like the dutiful daughter that she was. "I'm sorry, Mom. Things have been exceedingly hectic at home. Believe me, we've wanted to make this trip for some time now."

"I'm surprised you made it at all." Miranda sniffed. "Considering you've already married the man." Her brow arched. "Before your father could meet him."

This time Sharon couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Mom." It didn't matter how old they got, their parents were still their parents. "We explained all of that. We had the opportunity and we took it. I'm not going to apologize for marrying the man I love at the soonest possible moment. We're still going to repeat the entire thing tomorrow for all of you, and Andy's children too."

This time, when her gaze drifted, Miranda laughed. "Oh Sharon, for crying out loud. Your father isn't going to bite the man. He wants to get to know him. I think he's earned the right." She lifted Joey against her shoulder when he began to fuss and rubbed his back while she crooned softly. "I think it's a little late for you to be worrying about your father scaring him off, don't you think?"

"Oh, I'm not worried about that." Sharon smirked back at her. "He isn't going anywhere, but he does worry. He rambles when he's nervous. It's all very adorable, not that I'll ever tell _him_ that, but he does tend to work himself up into a bit of a state. I just don't want him to be a nervous wreck when Charlie gets here later. He's going to be anxious enough about that as it is." They had convinced Andy's children to drive up that day and spend the night, since the wedding and christening would take most of the following day. Charlie was coming in from Cal State, while Nicole had ridden with them.

Her husband had been practically floating about that for days. The drive had gone surprisingly well for father and daughter. Sharon had occupied the backseat of the car with Joey, allowing Andy and Nicole to have those hours together. Now, her stepdaughter was off with her own children, running errands for their grandmother in preparation for dinner. She and Emily were close in age, with barely a year separating them, while Charlie and Ricky were only a few months apart in age. Both of their elder boys were college seniors this year.

Miranda laughed quietly at the worry on her daughter's face. "He's a grown man of more than fifty years, Sharon. I think he can handle a simple meeting with his son and his father-in-law. I thought you told me that he was a homicide detective. Those aren't exactly made of weak stuff as I understand it."

"Hm." A soft smile curved her lips. Sharon rested her elbow against the arm of the chair and propped her head in her hand. "No, they aren't, and he's one of the better ones. When it comes to his job, Andy can be as tough as they come. Right now he isn't a homicide detective. He's a husband meeting his father-in-law for the first time, and he's a father who is trying to bridge a gap with his children. He's…" Sharon shrugged. "Something of an overgrown teddy bear, really."

Utter and complete adoration. That was the look that crossed her daughter's face. It warmed her eyes and had her smiling brightly. Miranda watched her closely and tried to recall if she had acted in this manner with the other one. She couldn't seem to remember, but it was so very long ago. It didn't matter, in all honesty. The past belonged in the past. Her voice softened, and she seemed almost wistful. Miranda chuckled quietly and lay her cheek against the top of the baby's head. "Yes, so you've said before," she drawled indulgently.

Sharon exhaled slowly. "He's still nervous," she explained. "His past is…" It wasn't her story to tell. She shrugged. "Similar enough to Jack's that he's worried what the two of you will think of him."

That was a concern. Miranda wouldn't pretend that it wasn't. They'd heard things from the kids. Emily and Ricky talked, shared their own concerns. They had also shared what they liked about the man, and they did like him. It was just that none of them knew him very well. That would change. Sharon did, however, and it was really only her feelings on the situation that should matter. "I'll tell you what I think," she began carefully. Her daughter was far too old now for her opinion of a suitor, or even a husband, to carry much weight. It did, because their children were all exceedingly good individuals, but they were all their own people too. "I think that a man who can love you, and who can love this child, as much as I can see that he does, has no reason to worry what we might think of his _past_. It's his present and his future that concern us. Which is what I know your father is going to say to him."

She hummed quietly. Sharon studied the contents of her tea cup. "He does love him. He wanted Joey, Mom. Even before he knew if I'd ever be able to love him. It was all just so insane, and unusual, and somewhere along the way, our lie became a reality. He was only trying to help me, and I was grateful for that. He felt bad for us, but it wasn't pity. It was guilt, I think, for the ways that he'd hurt his own family. He couldn't change his past, and he knew that, but he could help us. He is so impulsive sometimes. It drives me crazy. I just want to shake him. His mouth opens and it works faster than his brain. He may be coming from a good place, but my god, the messes that man can create for himself." She laughed, even as she shook her head about it. "He's good to us," Sharon said. "He loves us. It's not just Joey and I. He showed Emily how to use pepper spray, and where she could get it when she got to New York. He serviced Ricky's car out before he went back to school. He's been more of a father to them in a few short months than Jack has been their entire lives. He isn't even trying." Sharon looked away as she said that, let herself think back to the summer, and the weeks her children had spent at home. "It's just who he is."

Miranda watched her. Wistful was not a term she would normally apply to her daughter, but she seemed it now. A smile curved her lips as she watched her girl play with the rings on her finger. The simple and elegant diamond, and the smooth, plain band that had been paired with it. How many times had she seen her do that over the years? Worry at the rings that Jack had placed there before finally she took them off and put them away. It wasn't quite the same gesture. She didn't twist them nervously on her finger, but rather, her thumb swept over them in a caress. "You love him." Miranda didn't think that her daughter would have moved forward in quite the way that she had if her heart wasn't engaged, but she had worried at the timing of it all.

"Yes." A simple, beatific smile lit her face. Sharon's gaze drifted back to her mother, and her still cooing son. "I really do. It's different than I thought it would be. How odd is that?" She shook her head at herself. "We can fight, and I'm not afraid he's going to leave. I can say what I need to say, and I know that he's going to hear me. He may not listen immediately, he's too hot-tempered for that, but he's going to hear me. But it's not just me, though. He doesn't have to worry that I'm going to ask him to leave, or that if he does leave, I'll sit up all night worrying he's in a bar somewhere. He knows, that I know, he's just working out his temper away from me, and away from Joey. He'll drive down by the coast, or he'll go for a walk. Sometimes he'll just go to a meeting, or whatever he needs to do. He doesn't have to be defensive when he comes home, I'm not waiting because I don't trust him. I'm waiting because I love him. So we talk, and we make up, and it's just…"

"Mature." Miranda smiled at her daughter. "It's a mature, responsible relationship. You're an opinionated person, Sharon. You can be very steadfast in your thoughts. From what I've heard from you, and the kids, it sounds like he can be too. You're not always going to agree all of the time. There's nothing wrong with that." She laughed when her daughter rolled her eyes. "I know that you know that. What I'm saying, is that it feels different because the relationship you had with Jack was neither responsible nor was it mature. You were both incredibly young when you married, and then it… well, it went the way that it went. I'm happy for you." Just seeing her girl glow in the way that she was told her more than any long, drawn out conversations could. She would still like to get to know this man that was now a part of their family, but he'd already earned a great number of points. "And I am so very happy to finally be meeting you." She lifted Joey in front of her. He was such a darling little thing. The very image of Ricky when he was a baby. "You gave us quite a scare," she tutted at him.

"Just impatient is all." Sharon's smile softened as she watched them. She wondered, a bit sadly, if Joey would ever really know his grandparents. It wouldn't be the same as how Emily and Ricky knew them. The memories would be more abstract for him, and her heart ached a bit at that. "He gets that from his father too," she continued, and pushed the darker thoughts aside.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he does." Miranda smirked knowingly at her. "Let me guess," she settled the baby in her arms again. "You are your momma's darling angel, and the rest of the time, you are all your daddy."

"That's it exactly." Sharon lifted her chin. Then she laughed. "Andy will be the first to admit it. Joey is his father's son. No patience and all temper when he's unhappy. The rest of the time, he's just a doll."

"Yes, I see that." The baby was perfectly content. Miranda looked up at her daughter and her face softened. "You did good, Sharon. You did right." She knew that her daughter had questioned having this child at her age, risking it. For him and for her, and especially with her marriage falling apart as it was. In the end, there was no other choice that she could have made. None that she could have lived with. "He is perfect."

"I didn't do it alone." But when she thought of bringing Joey into this world, it was again Andy that she thought of, and not the man who had helped create him. "His father's had a hand in it."

Miranda lifted her gaze and shared a look with her daughter. She nodded, yes she supposed that was true. The man had been in their lives since almost the start, and would now retain that place. One that he had obviously earned. "Hm." She hummed quietly. "That I can see. Right now, I'm going to send you off to find his father, and maybe you'll stop fidgeting like a nervous school girl. Honestly, Sharon…"

Her mother's dancing eyes gave her way. Sharon wrinkled her nose as she stood. "I'm going, but only to rescue him. I know Dad." Sharon walked over to reclaim her son, and smirked at her mother's pout. "He'll want to be fed soon. Sorry mom, I love you, but he spends all week on the bottle. He's coming with me. You can have him back soon, and he'll be here all weekend."

"Oh very well." Miranda sniffed. "I need to go and get started on dinner anyway. The children will be back soon." She unfolded herself from the sofa upon which she had been sitting, much more slowly and with less grace than her daughter had moved. She was closer to eighty than she would like to admit, and beginning to feel it.

Sharon chuckled quietly as she moved away with Joey against her shoulder. "Come on my darling, let's go and find your father before he gets himself into trouble… again." To that she heard her mother laugh, but really, they had no idea. Oh the stories that she could tell them… Sharon resolved to save those for later in the weekend.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

It had been more than two decades since Andy found himself walking along beside a concerned father, answering questions as to his intentions toward the man's daughter. Andy figured that was pretty damned obvious, given he had already married the daughter and they were raising a child together. Nerve wracking though it was, he shoved his hands into his pockets and endured it, this Campbell Inquisition, as Ricky called it.

Judge Joseph Allen Campbell was a man of almost eighty-two. He was tall, and from his build, Andy could tell that he had once been broad across the shoulders. Much like Ricky was, and resembling the men nearer to Sharon's age in the pictures he had seen inside the house. Her brothers, Richard and Steven, one older and the other younger. As they walked, Joseph chatted about the other children, explaining that it might be the holidays before Andy would have the opportunity to meet them.

They talked about Emily. Joseph was worried about his granddaughter, living so far away and in such a large city without her family nearby. He mentioned that his wife was going to try to convince their daughter to let them help the girl while she chased her dancing dreams. He didn't think she would be very successful, but his Miranda was a stubborn one.

Andy laughed at that. "Sounds familiar. Sharon isn't going to budge. I already tried." When the other man looked at him, seeming curious about the offer, or why he would even consider it, Andy just shrugged. "She's a good kid. She worries about her mother. Sharon worries about her. She wants her to make it, but she wants it to be Emily's accomplishment. I get it." They strolled along beyond the patio behind the house, along a stone path to the garden. It was a nice place, near enough to the coast that he could smell the clean ocean air. "It's the Jack thing," Andy said. "Sharon was focused on the kids and her job, she let him handle the finances. Then when he left…" They didn't really have to get into it. He knew her parents knew the history, probably better than he did. "She had to learn how to juggle everything on her own. How to budget and save, and manage a household while raising two young kids by herself. Emily's young. She wants her to learn those things now. To make mistakes and struggle, and be stronger for it." He glanced over at the man that was now his father-in-law and lifted his shoulders. "That's what Sharon says. I think she's just stubborn."

Joseph laughed. Yes, that sounded like his girl. If nothing else, this new man that she had chosen had her pegged. "Miranda and I bought this place and moved out here from San Francisco when I retired some years ago," he said. "When we left the place we'd raised our children, we had a hard time letting go of some things." He pointed to flat, concrete squares that made up the garden walk way. "This was part of the path from the garage at the old house. When we laid it, the kids all went out and got their piece of it. We did all this when the grandkids were still young. You can see the newer pieces…"

The older concrete was darker, and intermixed with the newer, lighter pieces. There were handprints laid in. Small, child-sized. Joseph stopped beside a corner section. "These are my girls here." He pointed to the trio of hand prints. "Sharon, Elizabeth, and our little Sarah. Not so little now I guess," he chuckled quietly and shook his head. "When they started having kids, and they got old enough, we brought them out here and well, this piece on the left, that's Ricky and Emily. My Miranda, she'll want to add another piece, a smaller square, and tuck Joey in with the others." The older man squinted against the fading afternoon light and stared hard at his new son-in-law. "The other one, that Jack, he wasn't around when we made these. Tell me something. In a few years when we bring Joey out here are you going to be around, or will you be off chasing a drink, a skirt, and a card game somewhere?"

It was a fair question. Andy could understand why he asked it, although it bothered him. Sharon's father didn't know him, and didn't know all that he and Sharon had been through together. Andy walked around and knelt alongside the concrete tile. He smiled as his fingers traced the small, delicate looking handprint that belonged to his wife. Andy lay his arm across his knee as he balanced on the balls of his feet. He looked up at the older man. "I'll be here." He rose slowly, knees protesting, and shoved his hands into his pockets again. "I can't say where we'll be, but I'll be here with Joey."

"What about my girl," Joseph asked. "She's been through it already. Are you planning on hurting her too?" It was a straight forward question, but he figured a man of more than fifty deserved that much. They weren't, either of them, getting any younger. It was best to get to it.

"Not if I can help it." Andy shrugged. "I can't promise it won't happen. No one can. The only thing I can promise is to try like hell to fix it if it happens."

That wasn't the answer he'd gotten from Jack more than twenty years before. It wasn't even the answer he'd gotten from his other sons-in-law. It was the most earnest of the lot though, born of experience. A wealth of it, he imagined. When he thought back on it, Joseph remembered Jack looking him square in the eye and promising he'd never hurt her. "Marriage is hard," he said. "I guess you know that."

"Oh, I do." Andy chuckled. He shifted where he stood and grinned crookedly. "It's supposed to be hard. Makes you appreciate it more." Andy studied him closely. "I'd be asking these same things of any guy hanging around Nicole. I appreciate why you're doing this. I can't make any promises, except to try to be there for them, no matter what happens. As long as I'm able."

Joseph nodded slowly. "I can accept that." It was the best that anyone could promise. They could all hope for the best, but life would happen however it was meant to. They didn't get to call all of the shots. He'd have said more, but as he prepared to, Joseph realized that his son-in-law was no longer paying him any mind. The younger man's attention had drifted. His brows rose a little at that, and then he followed the man's gaze and realized the reason for it. His daughter was strolling along the path toward them, the baby held in her arms. Joseph looked at his son-in-law, and while his eyesight was no longer as keen as it had once been, it was good enough to notice the shift when it came.

It was like watching the tension leave, carried away by the breeze. The other man relaxed, and a softness seemed to settle over him. Warmth filled his previously apprehensive gaze. Joseph thought that he could have broken out into a full jig, right there, and not have been noticed, as he had eyes for no one but the woman walking toward them.

Andy took a few steps forward to meet her. His hands left his pockets when she neared. He reached for Joey and drew the baby onto his own shoulder. "I didn't think you'd get him away from your mother so soon."

"It was a struggle." Sharon smiled up at him. She studied him closely, quickly, and found him no worse for having been alone with her father. "Dinner won out. She's getting started on it. Besides, he'll want his own dinner soon enough."

"We can set a clock by him." Andy rubbed his back. Joey had his head up and was looking around at all of the new sights and sounds. He was almost on schedule, developmentally, for his age, but still a bit smaller than other six month olds. He looked down at Joey and grinned widely. "That's my boy. Now if I can just get you to understand the time block between nine and—"

"Andy." Sharon shook her head at him. A light blush colored her cheeks and she cast a quick look in her father's direction.

"For the record," he smirked at her. "You're the one that went there. I was talking about sleep." Andy's eyes sparkled. He leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. "Everything is okay," he promised. As he straightened, Andy half turned, pivoting his body so that they drew her father back into the conversation. "So your dad was just showing me the garden. Teeny, tiny Darth Raydor handprints. Remind me to take pictures. No one will ever believe you were that adorable."

"They never will either." Sharon arched a brow at him. "Not if you know what's good for you, Lieutenant. I have a reputation to protect."

"Oh, there will be pictures." Andy continued to smirk. He bounced Joey against his shoulder. "Let's go check it out pal. We'll find your spot, what do you think? You want to go next to mom, or beside Em and Rick?"

Joseph had his reservations about this situation. There were people who could easily love a child, despite it's parentage. They were able to look beyond that and just accept the person that was placed in their care, stepchildren and those adopted. He listened to his son-in-law talk about the older grandchildren, and it was easy to see where he could accept them. His own children were the same age. Taking Joey on, however, at his age… that was unexpected. Seeing them together, however, his daughter and this man she had chosen to love, he was able to start relaxing. It was easily obvious that this tiny boy, his new grandson, was well loved.

He felt his daughter stop beside him and looked down at her. Her eyes were lit up, sparkling as brightly as the smile on her face. They both watched Andy carry the baby over and kneel beside the tiles that bore Sharon and her children's handprints. When she laughed, Joseph tucked his hands into his pockets and dropped his gaze to his feet. He smiled at the sound. It was happy. She was happy. He still had some reservations, time would temper them.

"You picked a good one, I think," he said finally.

"No, I didn't." Sharon continued to smile. She glanced at her father. "He picked me, Dad." Her gaze didn't leave them long, soon they were back on her husband and child. Joey was completely mesmerized by the sound of his father's voice. "He took me completely by surprise. I wasn't thinking about moving on or being with anyone again. Suddenly he was there, relentless and caring. Hot-tempered and stubborn. People talk about their spouses or their significant others being their best friends, and it never really occurred to me that it was actually possible." Sharon leaned toward him and curled an arm through one of his. "That's all we were in the beginning. He was just this stubborn friend that wouldn't let me put together a crib or even finish assembling the cradle." She started laughing again. "He wouldn't let me fix the step, dad." The old one, on the porch, that always seemed to come loose. That was, before Andy got involved and had the whole porch replaced.

Joseph chuckled quietly. He was well acquainted with the old step. It liked to come loose. It would squeak and shift when it was stepped on. He had fixed it a number of times over the years. "I understand you've got a new porch now." He grinned down at her.

"Yes." Sharon rolled her eyes at that. "He called in a favor with the relative of a friend of his. They tore down the old porch and built another one over the course of a few weekends." She looked up at him. Her smile softened. "He really is a good one. Deeply flawed, and endlessly frustrating at times, but good." A single brow arched as she added, "He's been teaching Joey baseball since the womb. Your work is cut out for you. He's a Dodgers man."

"Dodgers." Joseph shook his head and sighed. "We'll work on that." He was a Giants man, himself. But primarily, he was a football fan. They'd have to do something about that. He slipped his arm around her. "Happy?"

"I've always been happy, Dad." She looked up at him and her head inclined. "The kids made me happy. I was happy with my work. I wanted more for us. I wanted my marriage to work, but I wasn't unhappy." She watched Andy stand with Joey in his arms. The baby was beginning to fuss. Yes, she thought, they could set a clock by him. She saw Andy look her way, but hesitate. He bounced the baby against his shoulder and rubbed his back, still talking to him. "Yes," she said gently. "I'm happy. Andy makes me very happy."

"Yes." Joseph grinned. "I can see that, my girl." He hugged her close. "But that little one sounds like he's got a little too much of you in him. He isn't going to be pacified."

"No, he really isn't." Sharon smiled as she stepped away from him. "He wants to be fed. That's strictly a mom activity. Dad, do you mind if we catch back up with you at the house?"

"Go on." He turned to walk back by himself. "Go enjoy your guys. I'm going to see what trouble I can get up to with your mother. The house was smelling like cinnamon earlier today. I'll find the source eventually."

"Try the cupboard beside the fridge." Sharon smirked at him. "I have it on good authority there could be cookies…"

"That's my girl." Joseph grinned as he walked back toward the house. He could always count on his Sharon to suss out her mother's baking. He glanced back only once as he walked away and saw that she already had the baby back in her arms, soothing him. This new son-in-law that she had brought them had an arm around her, and was saying something that made her laugh. The sound rang out across the air and brought a smile to his face. Joseph shook his head and turned away again.

She would be okay. She had not found a man to love her, but rather a partner to love _with_. That made all the difference.


	24. Chapter 24

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

"Yes, because this is not awkward."

"Ricky." Emily shook her head at her brother. "Be nice," she hissed.

"I am being nice!" He shrugged. "It's just awkward, that's all." He cast a look over his shoulder to where his mother stood talking to the other two, the new step siblings. Nicole was nice enough, but Charlie was about as wound up as they came.

Dinner the previous evening had gone well enough. His grandparents kept the night moving. It was a new day now. They were meeting with the priest prior to the christening. Officially, their mother and Andy couldn't be married in the church. Not unless they petitioned it to have both of their previous marriages annulled. Father Owen had known them all a long time, and on that he just couldn't budge. He had christened both of Sharon's elder children and much of the rest of the second generation of Campbells as well. He would be christening Joey, and had agreed, although he couldn't actually _marry_ them, that he would meet with both of them prior to the event. They would pray, and he would hear their confessions.

That had required Sharon sitting down with him the previous day. He had been invited to dinner, and then she and Andy had gone into Joseph's den to discuss matters they hadn't wanted the others to overhear. Details of the christening, Joey's parentage, and of course their own marriage. Ricky knew his mother had come clean with the priest. She wouldn't and couldn't lie to him. Knowing Father Owen as they did, he'd have been disappointed at the turn of events which brought them here, but he would respect the choices she made.

Everyone had been in good spirits when he left. That meant he understood and if he couldn't officially _approve_ of her getting divorced and remarried, he could approve of a man stepping forward to be a father to a child that needed one. It was a fine line, the balance between where religious dictates ended and respecting life choices began. Although Sharon had a church that she attended in Los Angeles, it was Father Owen that had resided over the family's collective religious needs these past thirty years.

Although it wouldn't be discussed, that they actually sat down with the man said a lot to both Emily and Ricky. So officially, their mother's new marriage couldn't be blessed and it couldn't be recognized, but they would all get together in Joseph's den in the morning and go through the whole Civil service again. Just so that the family could be there for it.

Neither Ricky nor Emily imagined that their mother or her new husband actually cared whether they were recognized or not, but it would matter to the grandparents. Joseph and Miranda would care, but they were realists and they knew that Jackson would never agree to go through with the annulment process, and Andy didn't believe that his ex-wife would agree to it either. The fact that it was discussed and considered was a good thing in their eyes. They were both starting to like this Andy more and more.

"It's not awkward at all." Emily sighed. "Okay, maybe it is a little bit." She shook her head. "Just think about it, Ricky. They're us. Okay, so maybe not completely, but for the most part. Their parents split up when they were little. Their dad was an alcoholic that spent a lot of time away from home. We can pretty much fill in the lines between all of those details. The only difference between them and us is that their dad actually gives a damn, and ours doesn't. They're just like we were last summer when dad moved home. They're trying to trust him, but it isn't easy."

"I guess." Ricky frowned. "The difference here is that… Andy isn't just dropping into town to tip the odds in his favor for the divorce." He folded his arms across his chest. "It's just hard to imagine them not really… you know, being around him a lot. He's been great to us. Mom loves him, you know? And I think he really loves her too. He's crazy about ET."

Emily made a face at her brother. "You know, she really hates it when you call him that."

"I know." Ricky smiled crookedly. "She named him what she wanted. I get to call him what _I_ want. It's a thing. Get on board the name train, Em."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You are just asking for trouble, little brother."

"Who are you calling little?" He smirked evilly and started toward her.

"Back off." Emily's eyes narrowed. "I may be small, but let me remind you who our mother is."

"Uh huh. _Our_ mother being the operative word." Ricky continued to track her around the room. When a hand caught his shoulder, he looked over in surprise. "Aw, come on, Andy. Can't I mess with her a little bit?"

"I'm saving you from yourself." He grinned. "She's her mother's daughter. They're little, but they're mean."

"Yeah?" Ricky grinned crookedly at him. "But we're bigger, faster and cuter."

"What?" Emily's hands found her hips. She glared at him in a good imitation of her mother. "In no way are you even _remotely_ cuter than me."

"I really kind of am…"

Sharon heard the bickering begin and sighed. She smiled warmly at Charlie and Nicole in front of her. "I'd apologize for them, but I'm afraid that I'd probably spend the rest of the weekend doing that. I could also tell you that they're normally better behaved, but I don't think that would be altogether true either."

When Charlie grinned, the look was entirely reminiscent of his father. "Well, that's kind of a relief. Dad and Nic were making you all sound freakishly perfect. I'm feeling much better about the situation now." He had his hands shoved into his pockets. He was nervous as hell about meeting all of these people. Nicole kept telling him that it was okay. She had met their new stepmother. She had met their baby brother. It was odd, and it hurt a little bit, to watch their dad with their little brother but she promised him that everything was going well.

Then he spoke to his mother. Vicki assured him that their father was trying. It was okay not to trust him. It was okay to take their time with that feeling. They just had to try. That was all that anyone was asking of them. It was all that _he_ was asking of them.

Then he found out that his mother sat down and had lunch with this woman. That threw him for a loop. The old wife and the new wife, _together_? Who did that? His mom, apparently, and his new stepmom.

"_We__'__re sharing a family,__" __Vicki said. __"__We need to be able to get along. We don__'__t have to like one another, and we don__'__t have to trust one another, but we__'__re connected now. Our children are connected. We can do it for you. She wants you in her son__'__s life. He__'__s your brother. You__'__re going to share him with her children. They__'__re your age, and you know, they__'__re a lot like you too. The boy is in college at Stanford. He__'__s a senior too. The girl is a dancer. New York, she said. Ballet. Their dad was a lot like yours. Still is. He isn__'__t in the picture and they don__'__t want him to be. He__'__s still a drunk. They__'__re taking a chance here, Charlie. Just like you are.__" __She had paused then. __"__We are all taking a chance, baby.__" _

His mother thought that maybe she could like her, this new woman in his father's life. Charlie was starting to wonder if maybe he could too. She was nice, and she was funny. The kids weren't bad. It was… well, it was awkward.

They were all trying, though. That much was true. His dad was trying. Charlie could see it.

"Not perfect." Nicole rolled her eyes at her brother. "Just less spastic than you and dad." She smiled brightly at him. Her brown eyes sparkled. "I always wondered if perhaps there was a normal family out there, desperately trying to find me. Now I know that there was!" She rocked back on her heels while she smirked at him.

"She thinks we're normal." Emily laughed happily at that. "Oh, I like you," she decided of Nicole. "She can stay." Her eyes danced as she shoved Ricky toward Andy. "I'm making a trade. You can keep him. I'm taking the sister. Always wanted one of those." She turned, pivoting gracefully on one foot, just like the dancer that she was and fixed her mother with a look. Her hands went to her hips and her brow arched. "You couldn't get me one of those over the years? It had to be brothers? Not just one, but two of them?"

"Hm." Sharon's head tilted. Her lips pursed. She cast an amused look at her stepchildren before she turned her focus on her daughter. "I only needed one perfect daughter, sweetheart."

"Yeah," Emily waved a hand at her. "You can't buy me with platitudes anymore. We're keeping her," she nodded firmly.

Nicole laughed out loud. "You know something… I'm going to have to agree with her." She nudged her brother. "I mean, she likes having boys. I'm making a trade too." She folded her arms over her chest and grinned crookedly, the look all Flynn.

"Oh hell." Andy wrapped his arms around his wife from behind. "They're teaming up against us. Bail out. Grab the baby and let's go. I've got the keys." He tucked his chin against her shoulder and held her loosely in his arms. He felt the tremor of her laughter before he heard it. "I'm serious."

"I know." She glanced at him, eyes alight with laughter. "I'm considering it." Her head tilted and she looked at the four of them, their grown children. "We did want them to get along," she reminded him. "We were hopeful that they could do that for us. At least for the weekend."

"You know something…" Andy considered it. "You're right. We did. What were we thinking?" His dark eyes were shining happily at her. "We should rethink this. We're outnumbered. There's four of them. Five if they get the little one on board. What do we do?"

Sharon thought about it for a moment. "Find a vacation home and leave them to their own devices. It's what my parents did."

"You have the best ideas." He said with a grin. "Let's go…"

She laughed when he made as though to draw her away. His arms tightened around her and Sharon settled back in his arms. "Down boy. They aren't that bad… yet."

"They're yours and they're mine," He pointed out. "And they are together. It's worrisome."

"It is a bit." Sharon lay her arms over his and held them in place around her. She hummed quietly when he turned his face into her hair and nuzzled. He had both of his kids there, and despite the underlying sense of anxiety, she had never known him to be quite so carefree before. It was wonderful. She loved this side of him. Sharon resolved that she would hold this family together as much as she could, just to preserve the happiness that was shining in his dark gaze. Even if that meant more instances where she sat down with his ex-wife. That was an awkward experience. Her children and his couldn't even begin to understand the meaning of the word. They had done it, however, for both of their children. It was important that they be able to get along… for all of them. Even if it scared the hell out of Andy.

Charlie watched them together. His brow rose and he cast a look at his sister. "Are they always…" He trailed off as he hooked a thumb at the pair in front of them.

"You have no idea." Emily answered for her. She exchanged a look with Nicole. "Is it any wonder we ended up with a little brother?" Andy's children didn't know the truth about Joey. He didn't want them to. It didn't matter to him. She and Ricky had decided they could respect that.

Nicole snorted quietly. "If they keep that up you might just get that little sister you want." She shook her head at them.

"Oh no." Sharon laughed. "That's not happening. That I can promise you. Besides, I don't know that he could survive another nine months of that. Poor thing." Behind her, Andy was nodding. She poked his arm. "You don't have to agree."

"You're a crazy hormonal lady when you're pregnant," He told her. "I'm agreeing." Andy's smile softened a bit. He had fallen in love with her crazy, hormonal self. Those were some of his best memories, but she was right. They were done. It was good.

"Oh god." Ricky covered his face. "Did you have to go there?" He shuddered. "It's bad enough as it is. Don't remind us that they're always doing it."

"Really." Charlie agreed. He shuddered. "You know what." He looked at Ricky, the boy who was his age, and about half an inch taller. "I'm on board with this trade thing. We'll leave the girls with them, take the squirt, and get out while we can."

"ET phone home." Ricky smirked evilly. "I'm on board with that."

"_Ricky_." Sharon groaned. "Would you please _stop_ referring to your brother as an alien." She cast a pointed look at him. "You're going to give that poor child a complex."

"ET?" Charlie's head tilted. "You know something. I can—"

"I wouldn't if I were you, son." Andy shook his head at him. He glared at both boys, although it lacked much heat. "Don't make fun of your little brother."

Emily had her head inclined again. Her lips were pursed while she thought through something. "Question…" She waited until she had all their attention. "Can _we_," She gestured between herself and Nicole, "make fun of _our_ little brothers?"

Andy and Sharon looked at one another. "Go for it," They both said.

"What?" Ricky's eyes widened. "That's not fair."

"I protest." Charlie decided.

"Deal with it." Nicole smirked at them. "You're out numbered."

"How do you figure?" Charlie arched a brow at her. "Your math needs work, sis. There's two of us, two of you. I think we're evenly matched."

"Oh no." Emily grinned widely. "You see, we're older. We're smarter. We're better." She pointed at the two boys. "We're wiser."

Ricky snorted a laugh. "Keep dreaming." He folded his arms across his chest. "We're bigger."

"That's the defense that you're going with?" Nicole's brow arched. "Oh…" She looked at Emily. "You do need me," she decided. "He needs to be schooled."

"Kids." Sharon shook her head at them. "Enough." Her green eyes sparkled at them. "You can malign your brothers, but don't maim them."

Ricky started to open his mouth and closed it. He slanted a look at his mother. "Hey!"

"That was very FID of you." Andy laughed. He shook his head at his wife and stepped away. "Come on boys. I'll have to teach you how to deal with these women."

Sharon blinked. Then she straightened and turned toward them. "How to deal with these women," she echoed slowly, carefully. "Did I hear that correctly, Lieutenant?"

"You heard me," He tossed back at her. "Deal with it," he said echoing his daughter's earlier sentiment. He winked at her and slapped a hand against both boys' shoulders, he ushered them ahead of him. "This is called a strategic retreat," he explained.

"It's called a big, scaredy run away," Nicole called after him. She shook her head at them. "That's my dad," she told the others with a half grin.

"That's her husband." Emily hooked a thumb at her mother. She flashed a crooked smile. "So, who's up for a re-wedding?"

Nicole's brown eyes sparkled. "You had a baby, got married, and now you're having a wedding. You understand of course that this isn't exactly the correct order of things, right?"

"Hm." Sharon hummed. "Yes. As your father calls it, we have the most back-ass-wards relationship either of us have ever encountered." She shrugged and added with a smile. "It works for us."

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

"You even wore a suit." Andy smirked at his partner. "I'm impressed." The deed was done now. The family had stopped for lunch at a steakhouse to celebrate. On his other side, Sharon was chatting with the girls, their daughters. Provenza was beside him, and Joey was in his lap. The baby was watching everything while he gummed his fingers. He was drooling on them. Teething. They had a few very interesting months in front of them.

"Well, you made the kid wear a dress. I figured one of us should look decent." Provenza smirked at him. They'd changed him afterward, but the christening gown was an old family heirloom. As it was explained, all the children had worn it. Little Joseph Michael Flynn was no exception. He shook his head. "You're wearing a suit. What, you thought I'd show up in rags?"

"Never can tell with you." Andy grinned crookedly. He glanced down at his son when he cooed in response to something he saw. He could tease the other man, but knew he'd take it seriously. Whatever else might be said about it, he was touched to be chosen. He was now, quite officially, Joey's godfather. A responsibility he would share with Nicole. They had discussed that with her only just that morning. She didn't know the truth, that Joey wasn't her brother by blood, but it was his and Sharon's way of including her. Charlie too. Provenza wasn't Catholic, so to satisfy the Church, they'd had his son stand in as well. His kids had been pleased with the decision. Andy was still riding a high on that.

Provenza hadn't expected to be comfortable in this setting. Things were fairly complicated and stressful at work. They dealt with the Darth side of the Raydor force more often than they didn't. A necessity forced on them by the existence of the law suit. She was more relaxed today. More like the person they had come to know during her pregnancy and on the day that Flynn was shot. He supposed that they all wore dual hats. Today she was just a mother and a wife. There was no talk of work or law suits, murders and cases. "My job is to make you look good," he pointed out. "I take that _very_ seriously."

"Don't listen to him Joey." Andy bounced his son on his lap. "He's the trouble. Ask your mother. I'm the good one."

"Excuse me?" Sharon turned toward him. Her brows lifted quizzically. "I cannot possibly have heard you correctly." The corners of her mouth twitched toward a grin. "_You _are the good one?" Sharon fluttered her lashes and then she smiled, quite sweetly, at both of them. "The two of you are equally to blame. It doesn't matter what it is, or who precipitated the event. The fact remains, you both participated in the activity. Any time I hear the words _Flynn and Provenza _I automatically put myself into a seventy-two hour reporting cycle."

The pair looked at one another. "I have no idea what she's talking about," Flynn deadpanned.

"Well I tried to warn you," His partner stated. "You wouldn't listen to me."

"Hm." Sharon smirked at them. "Is this like the time that you tried to warn him about serving warrants without approval for outside employment? Or the time that you tried to warn him about the cross dressing prostitute? Or my personal favorite." Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. "Sky box tickets."

Both their eyes widened. "You know about that?" Andy blinked at his wife. "How do you know about that?" They'd gone through quite an ordeal to make sure that _no one_ had ever heard about that incident. Not in all of its ridiculous, possibly career ending glory.

"I have my ways," Sharon drawled. She reached for Joey and lifted him into her arms. She pressed a kiss against his chubby little cheek and drew him to her shoulder. "Remember that, gentlemen."

Provenza poked his partner. "Chief."

"I think so too." Andy scowled at his wife. "Admit it. Chief told you."

"I'm not admitting to anything." Sharon smiled serenely. "I won't give up any of my secrets. Just keep in mind, I eventually find out about everything."

"_Now_ she tells us?" Provenza elbowed his partner even harder than he'd poked him. "She couldn't tell us about this before? Oh I don't know, like, before you went and did that idiotic thing where you married her?"

Andy opened his mouth but then promptly closed it. It was one of the few times that he managed to think before he spoke. His head inclined while he thought about it. "There is no way at all that I can answer this without one of you hurting me." He looked between them, his partner and his wife. Finally he looked at his partner and hooked a thumb in his wife's direction. "It's been great, old man, but I'm going with this one."

Sharon reached over and tapped his shoulder. When he looked at her, she smiled at him. She saw the worry enter his gaze and knew that she had just the right hint of saccharine in her very wicked smile. "Of all the times I've hoped that you would learn to think less impulsively, you choose _now_?" She fluttered her lashes at him. "You had to think about that?" Then she pouted at him. "Andy…"

He stared back at her. "Uh…"

"Way to go old man." Charlie laughed. "You're in it now."

"My money is on mom." Ricky lifted his soda glass in salute. "Good luck."

Nicole leaned around her step mother to cluck her tongue at him. "Dad, really…"

He frowned. "Wait a minute here." Andy shook his head. "How the hell did everyone end up on her side? Even my own kids!"

"Told you." Provenza leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I saw this coming. He never listens to me.."

"I have just one question." Joseph Campbell leaned forward in his chair. He looked toward the end of the table, where his daughter sat with her husband and his partner. "What the hell kind of cases are you people working down there?"

The three of them looked at one another. "I do have to admit," Sharon began. "They don't go looking for the trouble dad. It just… finds them. Somehow."

As one, both men pointed at each other. "He attracts it," they both said.

Sharon's father sat back in his chair and shook his head. "We should have brought Owen with us. I think we need another blessing…"


	25. Chapter 25

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

She was in the shower when he got home. Andy dropped his badge and gun on the dresser. He rolled his neck and shoulders and then shrugged out of his jacket and toed out of his shoes. Normally he'd have climbed into the shower with his wife, but tonight he decided that he could wait. He had peeked in on Joey, but the baby was asleep in his crib, no surprise given the hour.

Andy had gone out with the guys after work. They all needed to unwind and let go of their most recent case, he was no exception to that. So he tagged along, then he played designated driver. Like he usually did when the guys were drinking. Andy sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed to wait for his wife to get out of the shower.

He'd had to listen to it while they were out. Somehow it had gotten out and around the department that Sharon was retiring. She had apparently told Pope and Taylor as much. That was news to him. She was fed up and she wanted out, and she was citing personal reasons. Andy heard the shower cut off, even as he felt the anger he kept at bay for most of the day begin to rise again. If she had personal reasons for wanting out of her job, she sure as hell never mentioned it to him.

Yeah, he knew about the job offer over at the convention center. She turned it down. At least, he thought she did. They talked about it, and he thought they decided _together_ that it wouldn't work for them. The hours would take her away from Joey too much, and then there was the lack of daycare on site, so she wouldn't even have the opportunity to see him during the day.

Andy leaned forward where he sat, arms draped against his knees, hands hanging loosely between them. He stared at the floor in front of him. He played along with the guys. Told them it was something they were talking about. Talking hell. They were going to talk alright. He thought they were in this together? If she was that unhappy, why the hell had she not told him?

When the bathroom door opened, steam billowed into the room. Andy had a good head of it to go along with what was escaping into the bedroom. He looked up, eyes dark and hooded, and watched his wife step into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body and another covering her hair. His teeth ground together. Normally he'd have wanted nothing more than to strip the towel from her and take her to bed, but at the moment, all he wanted were answers.

"Hi." Sharon smiled when she saw him. "Did you have a good time?" He seemed tense as she passed. She stopped at the dresser and lifted a bottle of lotion. She turned, head tilted as she watched him. "Don't tell me he got sick down the side of your car again?" The last time he took his overly intoxicated partner home, the results had not been great for the wax job on her husband's car.

"Provenza is fine." Andy straightened on the bed. "Right now I'm more worried about you," he said tersely. "You going to tell me what the hell is going on, or do I need to wait until all the details are floating around the department? You're so damned unhappy with our life that you can't tell _me_ about it, but you can sure as hell put in notice that you're retiring?" He stood up and the muscles in his back and arms bunched painfully with tension. "What the hell, Sharon?"

She blinked at him. The coolness surprised her, but so too did the unbridled fury that she could sense moving through him. It made her stomach clench and roll with anxiety. She walked around him to her side of the bed without saying anything. Instead, she sat and rubbed lotion between her hands before she began applying it to her legs and arms. "I'm not going anywhere," she said plainly. "I thought you knew that."

A muscle in his jaw ticked at the haughty way in which she answered him. "What I know is that my partner is bouncing up and down about planning your goddamned retirement party because you told Pope that you were done," Andy snapped at her. "Really? You're done? Just like that. Without talking to me about it. While we're at it, maybe you can explain a few of those personal matters that are effecting your decision. I think I have a right to know if my wife is—"

"Laying a trap?" Sharon looked up at him. Her eyes flashed, but she tried to ignore his belligerent tone. Andy had a temper. He'd obviously worked himself into a state, and she realized the others must have contributed to that. Sharon shook her head at him. She should have warned him, but the opportunity to do so just hadn't presented itself. Besides which, it worked more in her favor if his response was genuine. "Andy, there is a leak in your division," she said slowly, and at length. "No one wants to believe it, but it's there. Would you like to know how _I_ know that it's there? Because when I went to see Coach Carr, Peter Goldman was already with him. He knew about the conversation I had with Chief Pope and Commander Taylor. Someone had already leaked it to him." She stood up again and held the towel in place with a hand to her chest as she moved to stand in front of him. "Would you like to amend your attitude, or are we going to fight about it?"

His eyes narrowed. "You couldn't warn me?" Andy glowered up at her. "Do you know what I had to listen to all evening? Personal reasons, Sharon? Come on, you know what that sounds like, don't you?"

She watched him run a hand through his hair and sighed. "It sounds like maybe this law suit is more than either of us is willing to let come between us and I'm taking a lucrative offer to separate myself from it." Sharon sighed. "No, Andy," she said impatiently, "why don't you tell me what that sounds like to you?" She folded her arms over her chest. So it looked as though they were going to fight it out after all.

He stood up and paced angrily around the room as he went about getting undressed for the evening. "It sounds like we're having problems, Sharon. At least that's what the guys thought. It's what everyone thought when they heard the rumor. I spent the last few hours convincing everyone that we're okay. That we're not fighting. That I don't give a damn that you're—"

"Tagging along behind you to every crime scene like a hall monitor, pointing out every little thing that you do wrong?" She followed him with her eyes and felt her own temper beginning to rise. "I seem to recall you not minding the idea much in the beginning. Tell me, Lieutenant, has your opinion of that changed? Not exactly as enjoyable as you thought it would be, is it?"

"Don't." Andy pointed a finger at her. "Don't put words in my mouth, Sharon. That's not what I'm saying at all, and it's not what I'm telling them either. Hell, I know why you're there. It's not like you asked for this. But shit, do you have to point out when I'm late?" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Joey is teething, he wouldn't settle down for the sitter and I didn't want to leave you here with that alone. So yeah, I was a little later to the crime scene than normal, but I got there within the—"

"I know that!" Sharon's hands slapped against her thighs when she tossed them in frustration. "It wasn't a criticism, Andy. I know perfectly well why you were late. I had to note it in the log, but I couldn't note the reason for it. You think I want to be doing this? Do you have any idea how much work is piled up on my desk right now? Do you know how long it's been since I actually worked a Force Investigation case? Lieutenant Davidson is still running my division. It's like I never came back from Maternity leave at all. I'm there, but I'm not. To top it all off, I have the lot of you rolling your eyes and ignoring my suggestions, and that's fine. Go right ahead. I'll see you in court with another law suit as soon as this one is over. That's if you get to keep your badges!"

"_If_?" Andy took a step toward her. "Oh, right… now it _is_ our fault. Yes, we're so bad at everything we do that's why we have the highest close and conviction rate in the state. So there were some bad calls made, no one is perfect," he shot back at her. "Unless of course you're trying to say that you—"

"You don't want to finish that statement." Sharon pointed a finger at him. "Unless you'd like to sleep downstairs tonight, which is what you are getting perilously close to having to do." Her chest constricted. She shook her head at him. "We talked about this. I warned you that _this_ would happen. You don't like my job, and I don't always like yours. Some bad calls were made, Andy. I don't believe they were done out of malice, which is why I am _trying_ to keep anymore from being made. At least as long as the law suit is ongoing, and then I'm out of it. With some luck, maybe some of what I am pointing out will actually stick and this won't happen again!"

"We don't need you telling us how to work a murder case," Andy snapped. "I think our record speaks for itself!" He jerked out of his dress shirt and tossed it across the room. The tie was already gone. Anger continued to roll in his stomach, bitter and hot and fueling his bad mood. "_Just ignore me like you always do._ What the hell was that about, want to explain that one, Sharon? We've been doing everything that you've been asking of us for weeks now. Do you have any idea how damned annoying it is to have someone constantly—"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," she shot back. Her cheeks flushed with indignation. Her voice rose with her rising ire. "Because it's damned annoying to have to do it! Yes, your record speaks for itself. That's why I'm having to follow you around and point out all of your mistakes!"

Andy's mouth opened. He snapped it closed and turned away from her instead. His teeth ground together again as he worked off his belt and tossed it into a corner. "I'm going downstairs," he announced tersely.

"Yes," she said evenly. "I think that you'd better." Sharon folded her arms over her chest and glowered at the floor. She couldn't look at him. It was entirely too painful. She was too angry to think about it, however. She'd warned him that they would end up in this place, upset at one another with their work as the cause. He hadn't wanted to listen. He promised they would be okay. That remained to be seen.

He didn't slam the door behind him. He was mindful, at least, of the sleeping baby, but it closed with a hard click. Sharon's eyes closed and she drew a thin, shaking breath. She sat down on the edge of the bed and lowered her head into her hands. The towel slipped and she let it fall. Her hair tumbled in wet, tousled locks to obscure her face.

Andy made it only as far as the stairs before he turned back. The anger left him and he was left feeling lightheaded and exhausted. It wasn't her fault. It was Goldman and the Chief. It was Pope and his grand ideas for saving his own ass. It was Provenza and his loud mouth, Taylor and his gossiping. It was him and his bad temper. Andy walked back into the bedroom and leaned miserably against the door once it closed behind him. The sadness in her gaze when she looked up at him made him feel sick. "I'm an ass."

"I'm a bitch." She took no pleasure in his misery and stood as he walked toward her. She took a step away from the bed and when his arms folded around her, she let hers slide around his waist. Her hands slid up his back and she tucked her face against his neck. "I was testing a theory," she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere. I should have told you."

"I should have waited." He turned his face into her wet hair and inhaled the familiar sweet scent. "I should have asked. I just didn't expect to get hit with it out of nowhere. I knew better. The whole thing is just getting on my damned nerves. That's not your fault. You didn't want to do this."

"We knew it would be hard," she said quietly. She tipped her head to look up at him, her eyes still sad. "It can't last forever. We'll go to court, or the Department will settle. I'll be done with my part of it and everything will go back to the way that it was."

"I'll quit." Andy looked down at her. He lifted his hands to cup her head, let his fingers tangle in the wet locks that framed her face. "If it gets worse before it gets better, I'll quit. I can take my pension and find something else. I'll do that before I lose you."

She smiled tremulously up at him. "I can't let you do that. _Andy_…" Sharon shook her head and felt tears sting her eyes. "You love your job. You'd never be happy doing anything else. You'd end up resenting me more if that happened."

"I love you more," he rumbled quietly. Andy tipped her head back. "I chose my job over my family once. I chose a lot of things over them. That didn't work out so great. I'm not doing it again. I'm not letting this come between us. I told you that we'd make it work, and we will. If that means that I cash in my pension and turn in my badge, then that's what I'll do."

"You're not an ass," she whispered. "I'm not going to let it come to that. If it gets that bad, we'll reevaluate, but I'm hoping we can handle this. We've come this far with it. We don't have to let it define _us_."

His thumbs swept her cheeks. She was the optimist. Even when she couldn't see her way through to the silver lining, she would believe it was there. More so than he. They had their moments, where they traded roles, and that seemed to work well for them. They could reach each other and know easily what was needed. "You aren't a bitch," he said quietly. "You're trying to save our asses and we're too ungrateful to see it."

Her lips curled into a soft smile. "I love you," she murmured. "I know I've let my frustration at this color my dealings with your team. It isn't all on them. I'm to blame too," Sharon explained. "I could try to be more patient."

"We can try to listen a little better." Andy resolved to talk to the other guys. Provenza in particular. He would remind them to keep their opinions to themselves if they couldn't remember that she was trying to help them.

Her hands curled around his wrists. When he kissed her, she hummed quietly. Sharon shivered where she stood. She leaned closer to him and let his warmth envelope her barely covered form. She was still wrapped in only a towel. She sighed softly and looked up at him. "Can we call this one done?"

His hands moved down her arms. They were cool to the touch. Her hair was still damp. "It's done," he brushed a kiss across the tip of her nose before he stepped back. He jerked his head toward the bathroom. "I'm going to jump into the shower. Get rid of this day."

Sharon caught his arm before he could move too far away from her. She shook her head slowly as she pulled him back. With her other hand she reached up and freed the towel. She let it fall to the floor. Then she rocked up onto her toes and curled her arm around his neck. Her lips were soft against his. "I have a better idea," she said against his mouth, voice thick and husking. If nothing else, she needed to feel him wrapped around her, lose herself in his heat and chase away the last of the sadness their argument and this day had produced. Even if that just meant his holding her.

"You have all the best ideas," he muttered. Andy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against him. He moved them backward, toward the bed. When her hands tugged at his plain white t-shirt, he let her pull it over his head. When the mattress bumped against her legs, he turned and sat. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed a kiss against her stomach. Then he leaned back and drew her with him. When she laughed, a low, throaty sound that chased away the echoes of their harsh words, he felt a little lighter.

Andy rolled her beneath him and swept her hair back from her face. He gazed down at her. His fingers caressed her cheeks. They would make it. As long as they remembered what was important, even when they disagreed, they could weather the worst of it.

"Day at a time," he rumbled quietly, recalling their agreement from the evening they were married. "We can do this."

She wrapped herself around him and leaned up to capture his mouth again. Yes, they could do this. It wouldn't always be pleasant. Sometimes it was going to hurt. She loved him enough to keep trying. "You're worth fighting for," she said against his ear. "Even if you're the one that I'm fighting with. I'm not letting go. I won't lose you over this either. I won't lose us." The two of them and this family that they were building. Their children, their son. It was worth all of the pain and all of the compromises.

It would get worse before it got better. She would find the leak. She was committed to that now, he knew. Even if she weren't, the department wouldn't allow _that_ to go unchecked. Andy had faith in her. He had faith in them. A smile had his lips quirking upward when he looked down at her. "You're all I need. You and the kids. I'm sorry for being—"

"No." Her fingers pressed against his lips. "Don't be sorry for being you. I need you just the way you are. I _want_ you just the way that you are. We can do this. A day at a time."

She was worth fighting for, he thought, mentally echoing her words. She was worth waiting for. Andy shifted against her and let his mouth slide over hers. She was worth all of that and more. She made him believe that he was too.

They would make it. They were too stubborn. They would accept nothing less.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

When Andy woke, some hours later, it was to an empty bed. His arm stretched toward the empty spot where his wife had lain beside him. The sheets were cool to the touch. Andy ran a hand over his face as he rose from the bed. He stepped into a pair of pants and pulled a t-shirt over his head before he shuffled sleepily out of the room. He peeked into the nursery across the hall but found it silent, the nightlight they kept on still glowed softly. When he crept further inside, he found the crib empty.

It wouldn't be the first time that Joey had awakened in the middle of the night, inconsolable or just incapable of going right back to sleep upon being fed or changed. Especially since the teething had started. With a yawn, Andy left the nursery and made his way down stairs. He expected to find Sharon in the family room, curled on the sofa with the baby, but while a lamp illuminated the room, it was empty.

Andy frowned as he walked through to the kitchen, following a trail of lights left on in his wife's wake. The back door was unlocked. Andy stepped out onto the porch and felt the early morning chill settle around him. The smooth wood was cold beneath his feet. Andy glanced across the porch and his face relaxed into a smile. Light was beginning to streak across the sky, gray lending itself toward the blue and violet of early morning. Sharon was on the swing, a leg drawn beneath her, and Joey seated in the cradle of her lap. The foot she left planted against the porch moved carefully, causing the swing to sway gently. The baby's back rested against her stomach, and she had a blanket drawn around both of them. He was happily gumming away at a teething ring.

"Rough night?" Andy took a seat on the swing beside them. When it stopped swaying as he settled on it, Joey squawked unhappily. He reached over and picked up the teething ring that the baby dropped into the blanket and lifted it back to his mouth. "I'll take that as a yes. Little drool monster."

Sharon chuckled quietly. She drew her other leg up beneath the blanket and resettled the baby against her as Andy took over moving the swing for them. "It wasn't bad. He just didn't feel like going back to sleep. He wasn't feeling well." His gums were sore and she was of a mind to indulge him in a bit of cuddling. So when rocking him hadn't worked, nor walking him downstairs, Sharon had bundled the two of them into a suitably warm blanket and brought him out onto the porch. Joey liked it outside, he was content enough to enjoy the early morning as long as the swing kept moving. "We came to an agreement. We'd sit out here for a while if he didn't mind me napping while we did."

"Something tells me you didn't nap much." He grinned as his arm stretched across the back of the swing. He jerked his head and indicated she should slide closer. When she did, he curled an arm around her while she settled her head against his shoulder.

"Well, your son may have provided needed assistance in the matter of keeping us moving." Sharon shook her head and sighed as she settled comfortably against him. "In other words, he woke me up every time the swing stopped."

As if to prove her point, Joey stretched his legs out against her lap and pushed himself back against her. Andy laughed. "You know, we talked about this once. You were worried he wouldn't want to sleep much once he got here." His fingers combed through her wildly curling hair. "I don't think we expected he'd be keeping you awake now, the same way that he was keeping you awake then."

Beneath the blanket, Sharon rubbed the baby's belly. Her other hand stroked over his hair. She smiled down at him, this child that was growing by leaps and bounds. No longer small for his age. "No, that really didn't seem to factor into the conversation did it?" Sharon tilted her head at him and smiled. "I'm thinking about something else that never factored. You and me. The night in the parking garage. Remember it? Jack was already gone, you were still angry with me about the Rick Zuman case. I told you I was pregnant. Next month will be a year. Did you think that we would end up here?"

Andy snorted quietly. "Nope." He looked down at her and shook his head. "If anyone told me that, I'd have checked them into a psych ward. No way would you ever look at me twice. I was just an asshole giving you a hard time." His brow rose and he grinned crookedly. "I _am_ just an asshole giving you a hard time."

"Hm." She hummed quietly at that and shook her head. "No. But I've been thinking about that night recently. I think it's just knowing the holidays are coming up and that is more or less when all of this started. It will be Joey's first Christmas and this time last year, I didn't even know if he and I would make it to Christmas." Sharon looked down at the top of her son's dark head. Her smile softened, gentled. "We almost didn't."

"Don't remind me." He turned his face into her hair and kissed the side of her head. "I don't like thinking about that night." He'd had some bad moments over it, and despite how well it all turned out, the idea of losing them still left him chilled and sickened. "Nah, I never dreamed we'd end up here. Even after we were friends, hell, even after we were sleeping together." He smirked at her. "I was still kicking myself, thinking you didn't need a loser like me. I couldn't leave, as much as I told myself I should, I couldn't walk away."

"I'm glad you didn't." She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and snuggled closer. She had to resettle Joey in her arms, settle him sideways and into the crook of her arm, but as long as the swing was moving, he was happy. She sighed quietly when she was tucked in closer to him. "I couldn't understand why you kept coming back, but I'm glad that you did." Their argument earlier in the evening and the holidays approaching had her more introspective than usual. She had no regrets, she was where she wanted to be, of that she was completely certain. "I was thinking about that night, and how far fetched all of this would have seemed to me then. Maybe it still is. I just can't imagine doing this without you." Sharon lifted her gaze, smiled at him. "I was watching Joey tonight, and I see you. I shouldn't, not really," they both knew why. "But it's there. In the way he frowns at me when he isn't happy, or the smile he gets when he's excited about something. His eyes are turning brown, and I know he gets that from my father. He looks more like Ricky every day, and logic tells me that I'm only seeing what I _want_ to see, but it's there. He's just like you, and I couldn't be happier about that, but I think about last year and I never imagined that we'd be here now."

"He looks like you." Andy was looking down at Joey, laying in her arms now. He had given up on the teething ring and gone for his toes. He arched a brow at the boy that was now drooling on his own foot. "Oh yeah, babe, that's all you. I can't do that." When she rolled her eyes at him, Andy chuckled. He wound a long, curling lock of hair around his fingers. "I never thought we'd end up here," he said seriously. "Dreamed about it, maybe, after this all got started and I realized I couldn't stand the idea of being without you. But you were still hurting, and the divorce was out of control. I didn't want to put anything else on you. You weren't ready. I'm not really sure that I was either. Not until that night on the porch. My OIS." Andy met her gaze. "I decided I wasn't going to live without you. I didn't know how I'd make it happen, but I'd wait as long as I had to until it did."

She reached up and touched his cheek. "It began changing for me that night too. It was the first time that I wished what we had was real, and that you were Joey's father." Sharon shrugged. "You already were, but neither of us could see it."

"Things work out the way they are meant to. Others don't." Andy's gaze dropped to Joey again and he smiled. His son was scowling at his foot. The look was all his mother. "We'll work out too," he said. "Look at what we've already done, and in only a year. I gotta believe it all happened for a reason. Like I said. You never would've looked at me twice."

"I don't know about that." Sharon fluttered her lashes at him and shrugged. "I might have, actually." At the disbelief in his gaze, she grinned. "It's the gray, pin-stripe three piece suit. It does things to me."

His jaw dropped. Then Andy shook his head at her. "You are so shallow. I can't believe you were checking me out. Remind me to have someone send you to a Diversity class." He paused before adding. "Right after I buy one of those suits for every day of the week."

Sharon laughed and Joey squawked in response to being jostled. He'd dropped his foot. She crooned softly and gave him back the teething ring while tucking the blanket around both of them again. "It isn't funny to tease your wife like that, Mr. Flynn"

"Well, it isn't nice to ogle your husband like that without telling him, Mrs. Flynn." He shook his head at her. "The things we could have been doing in your office all these years. I'm disappointed in you."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Andy." When he looked at her, she shook her head slowly. "I have never ogled. I admire from a distance… and work is still a no sex zone."

"Lesson number thirty six," Andy told their son. "If mom can spoil the fun, she's going to."

Her lips pursed. "I thought that was already lesson number eight?"

"Is it?" Andy shrugged. "Who the hell can keep up. We're old." When she laughed again, he dropped his arm around her shoulders and turned his face into her hair. He was reminded once again that it was his favorite sound on the planet.

Light continued to fill the morning sky. The colors changed, violet to orange as the sun slowly rose. It wasn't their first sunrise together, and it wouldn't be their last. They could live a lifetime worth of sunrises together, of that they were certain.


	26. Chapter 26

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25 - An interlude<strong>

"Wow."

Rusty stared at those around him. They had filled the last few hours with stories that seemed to make up most of what happened from the beginning of his adopted parents crazy marriage until basically six months before he had entered the picture. During that time, Sharon was brought out of surgery and in recovery. She wasn't being allowed visitors yet. Andy tried. They just were not going to allow anyone in to see her. She wasn't out of the woods yet. Far from it. They'd almost lost her a few times during surgery.

Hearing that her heart had stopped, not once, but twice was enough to have them all reeling. She was still on a ventilator and being monitored closely. The next few hours would determine a lot, the doctors told them. Her injuries were severe and the damage significant.

Rusty didn't want to think about it. None of them did. She survived the surgery, but only barely, and they might still lose her. It didn't bear consideration at all.

They'd taken a break from the storytelling while Andy went to check on Joey. Detective Sanchez's mother was watching him while they were all gathered at the hospital. At least Rusty understood better now how they had all become friends. Julio was at their house a lot, and he had to admit, he liked the guy too. He was Uncle Julio as far as Joey was concerned, and the kid didn't really understand that they weren't actually related, but then, he was only three. Although, Rusty was learning, in this family… that didn't really matter.

He waited until Andy returned before he launched into his questions. "So how did she end up being your boss? Isn't that, like, not allowed?" He looked around at the assembled group.

"You would think." Provenza grumbled quietly as he shook his head. He was leaned back in a seat, looking as pale and drawn as the rest of them. Just as worried for all of his grumbling, and now Rusty understood _that_ too. He seemed not to like her, but he was family too. It was like a thing, he thought, a sort of ongoing joke. They pretended to tolerate or dislike one another, but he was starting to realize that maybe it wasn't the case at all.

"I think that might be another long story all on it's own." Buzz shook his head where he sat. Emily was beside him, her hand clasped tightly in his.

"The chief quit." Julio stated. "We needed a boss."

"Maybe not _that_ long," Tao stated with a small grin.

Rusty shook his head at them. They were all still weird, if you asked him. He squinted at his sister and her _boyfriend_. That cat was out of the bag now, had been since she walked into Buzz's arms the moment that he got to the hospital. He cast a quick glance at Andy, but the man was far from really caring at the moment. He'd only told them that he would let Sharon deal with them. Almost as if he could will her back to them with the sheer might of his own desires.

The teenager wondered if he should come clean with what he knew about it. He'd kept quiet for the last year. The whole Emily and Buzz thing had started the year before, during Christmas when she had been home to see the family while also recovering from a sprained ankle. Nothing serious or career ending, but it had given her extra time to spend at home and she had taken advantage of it. While she was there, those two had connected in a way that, well, Rusty didn't want to really think about. Catching them kissing on the back porch was bad enough.

He was starting to think that porch saw a lot of action.

They were doing the whole long distance thing. Rusty didn't get that, but it seemed to work for them. Or maybe they were just weird. He was comfortable with that idea. All of his adopted siblings were odd in their own way.

"They wanted to prevent another law suit." Andy shrugged in response. He was once again seated beside Rusty. He leaned forward, arms draped against his knees, and stared at the tiled floor in front of him. His son was fussing for his mother when he called Mrs. Sanchez. He wanted her. Andy understood that. He wanted her too. His jaw clenched while his chest knotted painfully.

They were keeping him from her, and the desire to use his gun and badge and force his way in was almost too strong a desire to resist. It was the kids that kept him where he was. Ricky who was pale and shaken, Emily who looked as though she had been crying again not too long ago. Then there was Rusty. The child she had chosen, just as he had chosen Joey. The son of her heart. He was fidgeting and panicked, and Andy was wondering if he was getting ready to pull a runner on them. This wasn't what Rusty had signed up for. They weren't supposed to lose her.

Sharon was slipping away. He could feel it.

He stared at the kid, saw the abject fear in his eyes. Andy sighed raggedly and tried to ignore the raw ache in his throat, or the way that it throbbed when he tried to speak. He wanted his wife. He wanted his love. He wanted his heart. What he had were their kids.

Andy looked across the waiting room and his gaze found Charlie and Nicole. They had come of course. They loved her too. Of course they did. She brought them all together in that no-nonsense, take no prisoners way of hers.

A hand touched his arm and he looked to his left. Beside him Vicki inclined her head and smiled sadly. They still fought, more than they didn't. He didn't suppose that there would ever be a time when he and Vicki got along perfectly. There was too much history. Too much pain. They could agree on the kids, though, most of the time, and she was here for them. Maybe she was even here for him. He didn't know. The wife-in-law, that's what Sharon called her. Or maybe it was Vicki that had coined the term. He didn't know exactly. They both used it.

Andy shook his head and stared at the floor again. "I just never thought that when I taught her how to be a real detective she would end up using it against me…"


	27. Chapter 27

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26<strong>

Andy didn't know why he got the summons to the Chief's office. That was odd. He could count, probably on one hand, the number of times he had been in that office in the last couple of years and all of them had been to accompany Chief Johnson. He was never summoned, or at least, never summoned on his own. It was kind of odd that he was being called in now, and part of him wondered if it was more backlash from the whole law suit, division leak, and Chief Johnson quitting business. Even while he thought that, a small voice at the back of his head reminded him that no one else from Major Crimes was being sent to the Chief's office. At least, not so he noticed.

Flynn had been a little busy lately. He was helping Provenza pick up the slack of all the paperwork that was being generated and needed completing in the vacuum of the Chief's leaving. If he got even one more paper cut, he swore he was going to take the next stack of files that Provenza put on his desk and shove them right up his... Well, that didn't exactly bear thinking about, so he pushed the thought aside as he entered what had once been Pope's office and would now belong to Taylor.

That chafed. Of all the people for them to end up having to ultimately report to, for it to end up being Taylor... Andy didn't know how that was going to work. The last thing they really needed was that slime ball calling all the shots. He was a snake, more interested in his own ambitions and political gains than he was in catching bad guys. He couldn't imagine how that was going to turn out, but thankfully, he didn't really have to think about it much. Yeah, okay, he was one of the senior Lieutenants on the squad, but he wasn't in charge. Andy didn't have to deal with all of the political bullshit, and that was just the way he liked it.

His brows shot up in surprise when he stepped fully into the chief's office and realized he was being faced with both Pope and Taylor, _and_ Raydor. Andy quickly thought back on everything that he had done the last six months and tried to recall if any of it would constitute an FID investigation. Then he remembered that even if he had, and he really didn't think that he had, but _if_ he had been that bad, Sharon wouldn't be there. She couldn't handle his cases anymore. It was a little thing called marrying the other side. He gave a mental smirk at that. Come to think of it, since marrying Sharon, he hadn't been so good in all his career. If they only knew the line that woman had him walking, and not through any direct intervention of her own. No, she never said a word. Never even hinted. He just wanted to be better. To do better, to be someone that she could count on and be proud of.

Taylor waved him toward the vacant seat in front of the desk, the one beside Sharon. "Lieutenant, have a seat."

Pope was standing off to one side, hands tucked into his pockets. Officially it wasn't his office anymore, but he hadn't finished the move yet. From the boxes stacked against one wall, it looked as though he and Taylor were still in some kind of limbo of moving things out and others in. Taylor's model planes had made it to the shelving unit behind the desk at least.

Andy stamped down on the sudden sense of foreboding that swept over him as he neared and realized that Sharon was sitting ramrod straight in her seat, staring ahead. She didn't look at him when he sat. Her hands were clasped together in her lap, and her legs folded demurely. He watched her eyes lift toward Taylor as he sank into the chair beside her. Andy's brows drew together in a puzzled frown. "What's going on?" His eyes moved from his wife to the Chief, and finally landed back on Taylor.

Taylor, no longer a Commander and now, officially, the Assistant Chief of Operations moved around behind the desk and slid into the chair. His hands folded against the top of the desk. "Lieutenant, as you know we've had to do some restructuring in light of recent departures from the Department. With Chief Johnson's retirement it became necessary for us to find another ranking officer to fill the vacancy that she left behind. Presently, Lieutenant Provenza is acting as the interim division lead while we conclude that search..."

"Does _he _know that?" Andy looked around the room again. Somehow, even if it was worded in that fashion, there were people who had a way of making certain _interim_ assignments seem permanent. People like Taylor, for example.

"The situation was explained at the beginning, yes." Taylor shifted in his seat. He sighed quietly. Flynn's temper would get the better of them, he was sure. The guy could be unpredictable. It was going to be interesting to see what he did next, given a choice between his partner and his wife. Taylor suppressed the smile that thought evoked. "He is unaware that a permanent solution has been decided." He held up a hand when Flynn opened his mouth again. "Lieutenant, let us explain."

"Everyone is aware of the promotions freeze that we are involved in right now," Pope stated. "I simply cannot make Lieutenant Provenza a Captain at this time. Nor can I allow Major Crimes to continue being run by a Lieutenant. If the freeze were over, absolutely, that situation would be resolved. In the absence of all that, we are having to make a lateral move. We're bringing over a ranking officer from another division. Now," he gestured toward the Lieutenant, "we are not ready to announce this yet, so you cannot discuss this meeting with Lieutenant Provenza. The only reason we are bringing you in on this, Lieutenant, is because our current situation is a bit murky."

"You." Andy was looking at his wife again. "They're bringing you over to run Major Crimes." It was the only reason he could think of that she would be there, or that they would have him involved. He watched her look down and draw a breath before finally she looked at him. There was concern in her gaze, but a small smile graced her lips.

"Yes." Sharon said simply. Whatever else they might think of him, superiors and colleagues, it could never be said that the man was not intelligent or quick thinking. His impulsivity and temper tended to overshadow that, however. It was not only a matter of spousal pride when she told people that he was one of the better detectives on the force. Sharon truly believed that. This move, however, was going to put pressure on both of them. Discussions of her possible transfer had been ongoing throughout the week since Chief Johnson's departure from the department. Sharon was resistant, and they knew why. She was not about to unseat her husband from a job that he loved, not for her own advancement. She might have ambitions of her own, but her family came first. It always had.

"In light of recent events," Taylor explained, "We thought that we could benefit from having someone with the Captain's experience at the head of that division. Typically, we do not allow married department members to remain in the same chain of command. Since you were already a member of the division and this transfer is..."

"Not negotiable." Pope stated with a small smile. "I'm not taking no for an answer. Officially, Captain Raydor hasn't accepted yet. What we've decided to do is overlook the fact that the two of you are married, and allow the Captain's impeccable record to speak for itself. However... this situation will be monitored. If it becomes a problem, we will act accordingly at that time." He held up a hand, preventing anyone from responding as he went on. "That is if you choose to remain in Major Crimes. We all believe, and rightly so, that the two of you may not _want_ to work together. So you are being given the option, Lieutenant, to participate in a lateral transfer from Major Crimes to any department that currently has an opening which fits your rank and skill set."

"Basically," Andy began slowly, carefully. He was keeping a lid on his temper but it was brimming toward the surface. "What you're saying is, I'm out and she's in. Or we're both in, and you look for a reason to toss one of us out later."

"Exactly." Sharon cast a cool look at Taylor. This was the fact that she had been arguing for a week. Either he was being removed from his team, or they would be placed under a microscope. It was no way for the two of them to be forced to work. It was highly inappropriate. They could not be asked to submit themselves to the kind of scrutiny that was being asked of them, not when they were being set up to fail.

"Not exactly." Pope sighed. Damn but the woman was infuriating. How Flynn managed to actually _live_ with her he didn't know. Or understand. Or even _want_ to understand, really. "Obviously we are going to be willing to make some accommodations here. If Lieutenant Flynn chooses to remain in Major Crimes, there will naturally be an adjustment period." He took a step toward them and moved to stand beside the desk. "Bottom line," he said, focusing his attention on Flynn. "We cannot risk another lawsuit. It just cannot happen. Even the slightest hint of trouble and the Mayor will shut us down. Major Crimes will be no more. I will be forced to dismantle it and assign all of you to other divisions. Or… possibly, retire a few of you. This is not a situation that any of us want here. There are some other factors at play, that I cannot get into now, but the Captain is fully aware of and will be implementing _when_ she takes over. Do you understand me? _When_." He looked around the room, including Taylor in his very pointed look as well. "We cannot promote, and I need someone in place that can run a division _and_ understands LAPD policy and procedure. I'm sorry, if that creates issues for anyone, but my decision has been made." He turned again, this time his attention focused on Taylor. "I have a meeting with the Mayor. Handle this," he gestured to the two officers seated in front of the desk, but shot a warning look at Taylor. It was a delicate situation. When he said that they could not risk any further lawsuits, he also meant those which could originate from _inside _the department.

"Yes Chief." Taylor rose as he left. His hands remained braced on the edge of his desk. He studied the two in front of him. Raydor was a closed book, but that was nothing new. Flynn was simmering. He could go off at any moment or not at all. It was just part of his unpredictable nature. "A list of open positions will be made available to you, Lieutenant, if you choose to transfer. We'll give you some time to think it over, but we'll need an answer by the end of the week. As for the Captain's transfer, that is happening effective immediately."

Andy opened his mouth to respond, but the phone in the pocket of his suit jacket began to vibrate loudly. He was scowling as he took it out. He read the text quickly. "Roll out," he said. "There's been a shooting at a grocery store." He looked up at them, first Taylor and then his wife, before he turned his attention back to the Assistant Chief. "Can I assume that the rest of this can wait?"

"Join your team, Lieutenant." It was Sharon that spoke up. She tilted her head at him and offered a small, patient smile. "We can wrap this discussion at a more convenient and appropriate time." _If_ of course there was anything left to wrap.

"Yeah." Andy shook his head as he rose. He left the office before Taylor could stop him, and before he could say what was actually on his mind. Like how the arrogant son of a bitch could take his division and shove it where the sun couldn't shine.

He let the door slam behind him. Sharon smiled serenely at that. She turned her attention back on the Assistant Chief. "It's going to be an untenable situation. I hope that you are prepared for that. They aren't going to appreciate this. Least of all Lieutenant Provenza."

"Then you have your work cut out for you Captain." Taylor straightened. He smoothed down his tie. "I'll meet you at the location. I'll make sure the details are sent to your phone. We've wasted a week on this. It's time the handover was made. You can take command of your new team in the field."

Sharon shook her head at him. "This is a bad idea. You're putting them on the spot. We should wait until they've either wrapped this case or returned to their Murder Room. Doing it like this is only going to make tempers flare."

"Let me be the judge of that." He smirked at her. "Besides, if they dislike it as much as you say, this case or the next one… it isn't going to matter. We're finished stalling, Captain. Now it's time to get to work."

She gripped the arms of her chair and pushed herself up. Sharon sighed as she stood. "I have things that need to be done before I can meet you in the field. The handover of my own division needs to take place first. Hopefully before someone from Major Crimes goes and shoots someone," she snarked. She didn't give him much chance for dismissing her. She was finished dealing with Taylor for the moment.

Andy wasn't the only one who was having issues with his temper in light of the arrogant way in which her transfer was being handled. She turned them down twice, but as Pope said, they were not taking no for an answer. Giving Andy the option of staying with Major Crimes was her condition for accepting. She just didn't know how they would do this, how they would work together in this manner. He would be reporting to her, and well, prolonged professional exposure usually had them butting heads. Although, in all fairness, that was while she was FID and he was not. There had been moments, over the course of the last year, during which they both managed to forget at times that she _was_ FID, and they had worked quite well together. Limited moments, during which at no time had he reported to her.

Officially Provenza would still be responsible for his personnel reviews and other administrative tasks. Sharon imagined that wasn't going to go over any better than her taking over Major Crimes would. It was going to be a mess. Especially with Taylor picking the moment as he was.

This wasn't a matter of implementing her transfer, it was his chance to throw his weight around and prove, once and for all, that he was their better. It wasn't about her at all. It was all about Taylor. It was going to blow up in all their faces, of that she was certain.

Sharon just hoped that she could mitigate the damage. With any luck, before someone did something they might regret. Like quitting. Or transferring. Or even ending up on the sofa…

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

It was late by the time that Sharon finally got home. She peeled off her shoes just in side the door and sighed as she tossed them into a corner near the stairs. Her head fell back and she drew a deep breath. She didn't feel any better for it. Her first day with Major Crimes was exactly the resounding failure that she expected it would be. In so much as her leadership abilities went. They resented the takeover. She knew that they would. She had not expected that she would need to basically _beg_ them to cooperate with her, and that was a failure on her part. At some point she began to think that they would remember she was on their side and at least get through the case before any grievances were aired.

That wasn't to be.

She expected Provenza to be upset. She was more than prepared for his displeasure. He was right, he was being replaced. It was demeaning and the fashion in which it was done was unkind. She could not fault his anger. Sharon found that she more than agreed with it. She bore the brunt of it and hoped that it would get better over time. Maybe by the time they wrapped this case he would see that she was not the enemy. Highly unlikely, but she was trying to be positive.

It was that or cry. Tears of frustration pricked at her eyes all the way home.

She could give Andy his little temper tantrum in the morgue earlier. They ambushed him. It was bound to come out eventually, his need to get that anger off his chest. That it was directed at her, well, she was convenient. Sharon supposed that if their positions were reversed she would be just as unhappy about it.

She just expected a little more from him. Of all people to have her back today, she truly thought that she could count on _him_. Instead he glowered back at her in the murder room, only offering information when it seemed there was no other alternative, and after she basically begged for it. Then he shouted at her in the morgue, and while she managed to get him back on task easily enough, later he barely looked at her at all.

She was wrapped up with the Rusty situation, making phone calls and trying to find an emergency placement for him. She couldn't ask Andy into her office to discuss a personal matter, no, their situation was far too tenuous for that at present. But when she sent him the text to ask him to take Joey home because Daycare was closing, he hadn't even looked at her. She watched, through the open blinds of her new office as he read the text. Then he took his jacket and he left. Not without speaking to Provenza, of course. Whatever was said, she didn't know, but he slapped his partner on the shoulder and he walked out without a backwards glance. The only acknowledgement she got from him at all was a one word reply to her text. _Ok. _Hardly even a word at all.

It hurt.

It shouldn't, but it did. Sharon knew that he would be angry about this, but in all the time that they had been together, and the almost year that they were married, Andy had never shut her out like this. Even when he was angry or frustrated with her throughout her investigation of the Terrell Baylor law suit and later the Federal Law suit, he didn't close himself off completely. Even when she revealed the leak to be Sergeant Gabriel, one of Major Crimes's own, he hadn't treated her in this manner.

She felt it, keenly. That was more disappointing than all of the dislike and mistrust, and flat out indifference that she encountered during her first hours as the head of Major Crimes.

Sharon shrugged out of her blazer as she strode through the living room. She tossed it over the bannister of the stairs and kept walking. She saw Andy stand from his recliner as she moved through the room. The ache at the back of her throat intensified. Sharon held up a hand when his mouth opened. "Don't. Just… five minutes." She said thickly. "Just give me five minutes and then you can yell all you want."

She walked right past him and into the kitchen. His brows drew together at the tremble in her voice. Andy turned, slowly, where he stood and watched as she moved through the open kitchen door and across the room. He sighed when she made it only as far as the center island before she stopped. She stood there for a moment, and then her shoulders hunched. She leaned against it, elbows bent and dropped her head into her hands. His teeth ground together and he shook his head slowly. She asked him wait, but he followed her anyway.

Andy lay his hands against her waist and turned her slowly. Her arms dropped and she looked up at him, resigned and sad, and more than a little frustrated. He shrugged. "I was trying not to be pissed at _you_. Provenza wants to know why the hell I didn't tell him about this, and all I really wanted to do all day was take my badge and shove it down Taylor's slimy throat." A muscle in his jaw ticked when his teeth gnashed together again. "I've got less than a week to figure out if I'm staying or going, and in the meantime, I gotta figure out how I'm going to deal with them, and you, and all of this? Shit, Sharon…"

When he ran a hand through his hair, she took a step forward. Her hands fell to rest against his waist and she let her head drop so that her forehead lay against his chest. "I have wanted to tell you every day since they made the initial offer. It was confidential. I've turned it down, more than once. They kept coming back with it…" She sighed again and when his hands lay against her shoulders and then stroked her upper arms, she felt some of the tension leave her. Sharon lifted her head after a moment and shook her hair back. "It was my idea to let you stay. If Pope wants me in that position badly enough, I decided that he could make some concessions, or he would find another solution. They don't really want _me_, Andy." Sharon shook her head. "They want my record. They want the appearance of my rulebook. I'm an insurance policy. That doesn't change the fact that it's a good opportunity."

His head inclined. He gave her a quizzical look. "You're idea?" Andy let his hands lay loosely against her upper arms. "You think the two of us working together, every day, is really a good idea? We barely survived the law suit," He pointed out, "not to mention the whole leak investigation. Sharon… I don't know…" They could handle each other in limited doses, where work was concerned. More than that, and she got on his damned nerves. He got on hers too, he knew.

"It was an investigation," She said quietly. "We were still, basically, on opposing sides. That wouldn't be the case now…and…" She sighed. "Andy, I'm not going to push you out of Major Crimes just to make room for myself. It's your team. You love your job."

"Yeah," he agreed roughly. "I do. But I love you a hell of a lot more. I'm not letting your transfer get in the way of our family." He winced, because he realized the way it sounded, it was as if he was accusing her of doing just that, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. "You know what I mean," he said. "I'm not going to be the cause of any problems between us." Andy watched her brows rise toward her hairline and swore quietly. "That hole is getting deeper isn't it?"

"Just a bit." Sharon lay her hands against his chest and leaned in to him. "I know what you're saying. The thing is, I'm asking you to stay, Andy. At least temporarily. Let's try it. If it doesn't work, then we'll discuss it. We'll find another solution, but it will be you and I finding that solution and not that… arrogant…"

"Slime ball." He supplied with a smirk. "Come on, say it. It feels good." His arms slid around her.

"I was going to say son of a bitch," Sharon said drily, "but if slime ball works for you…" She managed another small smile. "I know that you're angry, and I'm sorry." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and looked down. "I needed you today, and you weren't there. I had the ass kissing, over eager detective from SIS instead. Am I really so horrible, Andy? Was it _that_ bad?"

"No." He pulled her against him and let his arms engulf her. "I was just afraid that I'd end up saying something I shouldn't. But hell, Sharon, how many times have we said that we can't take this relationship to work? I wasn't your husband today. I was the pissed off cop who was being told his job was probably changing and he should just deal with it. I thought you'd get that?"

"Hm." Her lips curved. "Now you start following the rules." She tucked her face into his neck and felt a tremor run through her. "I do. I understand completely, and you're right, absolutely, we need to leave this relationship at home as much as possible. Thing is, it wasn't my husband I was looking for today. It was my friend."

That made him feel like a heel. His arms tightened around her and he sighed. "Yeah… I didn't do such good job at that, did I?" He had gone as far as to yell at her, and he'd apologized afterward, but damn he had been mad. How long had it been since she had worked a murder investigation? She didn't get it. Part of him felt like they were setting her up to fail. At least, Taylor was, he thought. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. She had needed someone at her back, and no one had been there. Not even him. Yeah, the day had gone to hell alright. "I'll do better tomorrow."

"Me too," she whispered. Sharon lifted her head and gazed up at him. "Stay," she said simply. "At least for a while. Let's try this. Please don't leave me with your partner. He hates me now."

There was an almost pleading gleam in her eyes. Andy felt a smile trying to form. "He doesn't hate you. He's just… hell, he's pissed, Sharon. They took it away from him, and didn't even bother to—"

"I know." She smiled sadly. "I tried to stop that, but the slime ball didn't want to listen."

"No, I think you had it right the first time," Andy rumbled. "He's an arrogant son of a bitch."

"He thinks that this is going to fail." Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly. "He can't say as much. As long as Major Crimes looks good, he looks great, and so does the Chief. If this doesn't work, he will completely reorganize the division into his own vision, and I don't know what will happen to everyone. Andy…"

There she was. Ambitious sure, she was right, it was a hell of a good opportunity for her. As long as she stayed in FID she was stuck at Captain. By moving to Major Crimes she had opened herself up to a promotion as soon as the freeze was over. But she was managing, somehow, to keep protecting all of them at the same time. By a lesser degree, of course, since there really wasn't much of an option here. Let her career stagnate, or move it forward. Hell, he'd have jumped at it too.

"I'll stay," he decided after a moment. "At least for a while. We'll see how it works out. If it calms down or not. I'll…" Andy sighed. "I'll try to talk to Provenza."

"No." Sharon shook her head. "I'm not putting you in the middle of that. I will deal with the Lieutenant myself, at least initially. I think it would just help if he has someone that he feels he can trust to talk to about this situation. He's being hemmed in, Andy. It's… well, it's unkind."

His brows lifted. He shook his head. An incredulous laugh filled the room. "Hell, woman. All the hoops that we're going to have to jump through and you're worried that it's unkind to _Provenza_?" Andy snorted. "You are something, you know that right?"

"Hm." She shrugged at him. "You knew that about me. It _is_ unkind. I'm worried about everyone in this situation." Sharon sighed. "That's… well, Andy, it's my job now."

He sighed as he drew her back into the circle of his arms. "Yeah, I guess so." He lay his head against hers while he thought about it. "So what do you say," he began carefully, "that we prove the slimy son of a bitch wrong?"

"You have the best ideas." She smiled against his neck. Her arms moved around him and she felt better just standing there, his warmth encompassing her. "Joey is asleep?"

The shift came with the softer inflection of her voice. "Yeah." His hands continued to stroke up and down her back. "We got some dinner and he fell asleep right after his bath. He was pretty wiped out. It's hard work building block towers and knocking them over all day long." He grinned as he spoke. "Yours is in the oven, if you're hungry. It's just baked chicken and rice."

"Sounds perfect." Her smile was a little sad. She tried not to miss bedtime with her son. It wasn't always possible, but she did try. Their alone time was more limited now that he was bigger, sixteen months old, and starting to toddle about. He'd taken his first steps just a few days before his first birthday. In the four months since, he had really taken off. He was still as unsteady on his little legs as most children that age, but it wouldn't be long now before he was running about and hard to keep up with.

Already they'd put gates up practically everywhere, especially the stairs. Joey was inquisitive. He wanted to see and do everything. Trouble found him easily, too. He was his father's son in that way. He was all boy, this youngest child of hers, even more than Ricky had been. But then Ricky hadn't had the presence of Andy to pick him up and put him back on his feet every time that he fell.

"I think," Sharon continued. "I'm going to go up and get out of this dress first. Maybe climb into the shower…" She tilted her head at him and smiled. "If, somehow, I happen to not find myself alone in that shower… the company wouldn't be unappreciated…"

"Let me close up shop down here," He said with a grin. "Then you've got a deal." Andy turned her toward the the door and gave her a gentle push. "Getting you naked is still my favorite thing to do, but I don't mind finding you that way either."

Sharon snorted quietly as she let herself be prodded away from the kitchen. "My, you do say the sweetest things," she drawled sarcastically. She jumped when his hand landed against her backside, light and playful. She squeaked and shot a look at him from over her shoulder. "Do remember, I always get even."

Andy smirked at her. "I'm counting on that."

She rolled her eyes at him and left him in the kitchen. Sharon made her way toward the stairs. She scooped up her heels and jacket along the way, and then made her ascent toward the second floor of the house.

That first disastrous day was over. They would start again tomorrow. It was an opportunity to do better, and to be better. At the very least, they had a plan, and were now on the same page. Damn Taylor and his manipulations anyway. She would find a way to deal with him, of that she was certain.

First thing was first. They had a case to close, and she had to figure out what she was going to do with one very upset teenage witness. Sharon had a feeling that the matter of Rusty Beck wasn't going to be nearly so easy to solve.

**MCMCMCMCMC**

"Think you could be more of an asshole?" Flynn glared at his partner as they stood, stirring creamer into coffee in the break room. "I mean, really. Toss a few more things around, maybe? Yell at her a little more." He turned and leaned back against the counter, his coffee in hand. "You're doing a bang up job as it is. Maybe you could step it up a little. I'm not quite sure she's feeling the hate yet."

Provenza rolled his eyes and dumped a second packet of sugar into his coffee. It was going to be one of _those_ days. "Oh, I'm sure I can think of something. For example, poor little Captain got her feathers ruffled, so now she's got her husband fighting her battles for her. That's great. Real mature." He turned with a snort. "I tell you, Flynn, I've never really understood how you stand that woman and now, I'm convinced. You're nuts."

Andy shook his head slowly. "As a matter of fact, Sharon told me to stay out of it. She finds out I'm talking to you and she'll have my ass. Look," He pointed a finger at him. "I get it, alright. We all get it. You're pissed as hell and you've got every right to be. But Sharon ain't the one who put all this in motion. You're barking up the wrong damned tree, and the more you jerk her around, the harder she's going to dig her heels in. She's not going anywhere. I'm telling you, I've never met a more stubborn woman in my life. But yeah, while we're on the subject, that stubborn lady happens to be my wife." He took a step forward. "My _wife_, get it? You want to be pissed, be pissed. Hell, I'm not exactly happy about it either, but cut it out, will you? Or at least rein it in a little. She's letting you have your little tantrum because she thinks you've got a right to it, she doesn't agree with how this got handled, but you're going to piss her off and the only person you're going to have to blame for that is yourself. In the meantime, if you keep it up, she's going to be the least of your worries. You'll be dealing with me."

"Oh my _god_!" Provenza stared at him. "You're choosing sides. You're actually picking _her_?" His jaw dropped open. He never expected that. "She waltzes in here and starts tossing out all these new ideas about how we should make deals and save the city money by avoiding trials and you're going to go along with it? What happened to letting the justice system work? To letting people be judged by their peers for their crimes. You know, a little thing we call the constitution. Don't tell me you're on board with all that nonsense."

"Hell no." Andy sniffed. "It's all bullshit, but if that's the job, then that's the job. We don't make the policies. We never did. Look, we're old school. Emphasis on _old_. You think they're going to hesitate to toss either one of us out on our asses if we can't get with the new program? You ready for that? I'm not. I don't know about you, but my pension ain't enough to support myself, much less a wife and kid. The wife who happens to now be our boss, and the kid who is your godson," he reminded him. "The woman you're blasting every chance you get is your godson's mother. Think about that for a minute. How do you think Joey's going to feel, when one of these days, he realizes just how mean his Uncle Louie was to his ma when really, what she needed was the people she trusted most to have her back a little. Doesn't seem like such a hardship to me, ya know?" Andy shrugged as he moved away. "Just an idea. Take it or leave it, but remember… Keep it up, and Raydor in your face, not going to be a problem. We go back a long time, buddy, and you're still my partner, but you'll have me in your face first."

Provenza watched him go, jaw still slightly agape. It snapped shut a moment later. He huffed. So that was it. Everyone was taking _that woman__'__s_ side. They were just going to let her run roughshod over everything that they believed in. Everything that they worked for? Just like that, and without a fight? "Son of a bitch," he muttered. Well, he wasn't going to stand for it. As long as there was still breath in his body he would make sure that they all knew that what was happening was _wrong_. It was wrong. Well, Flynn was going to play the husband card. Let him. He'd dealt with bigger and badder bullies than that over the years. Fine, alright, so he understood it. He'd probably do the same thing if it was one of his wives, well, if he hadn't divorced all of them along the way. A man had to stand up for his family, that was all well and good. Let him. Provenza decided that he wasn't going down or _out_ without a fight.

Andy walked back toward the murder room, coffee in hand. He passed Howard in the hall. He smirked a bit at the paper bag that the man was carrying. "Made you clean out the drawer, did she?"

"Yeah." The agent shook his head and grinned. "How can they be so alike and so different at the same time?"

"If we start trying to figure that out," Andy chuckled, "we'll be standing here for the rest of our lives." He took a sip of his coffee and then shoved his other hand into his pocket. It was a habit he was beginning to pick up from Sharon. "How is she?" He asked. "The Chief… she doing okay?"

"Yeah well…" Fritz shrugged. "You know, it's been hard. First her mom, and then the whole Phillip Stroh thing. She's back in Atlanta right now. Finally spending some time with her dad. Clay, he's… hell, I can't imagine losing Brenda now, much less after being married to her for as long as he and Willy Rae were together. He's struggling with it, and that's expected. I don't know how anyone gets over that. He was just starting to get better himself, Brenda's worried he might just lay down and follow her."

Andy nodded slowly. It was a worry, he knew. "It would be a hell of a thing. I think I get it, though. It's tough, thinking about living without them." He shrugged, managed a small smile. "I don't think I could do it."

Fritz shook his head in agreement. He grinned. "As infuriating as they are, they're ours." His head tilted and he glanced back toward the Murder Room. "What about yours, how is she doing?"

The Lieutenant snorted. "I think she's going to be okay. She's made of some pretty strong stuff. It'll take more than Provenza to chase her out the door. Right now, I'm going to have to go and talk her out of doing something stupid. I saw the wheels in her head turning earlier. She's thinking about taking home a stray. She doesn't know that _I_ know she's thinking about it, but she's thinking about it."

He laughed. "You know Clay said something to me once, right after Brenda and I got married. No one will ever put up with us the way they do, and I don't think anyone will ever understand them the way that we do. God help us."

"Truer words man." Andy chuckled. "Look, tell the Chief we're thinking about her. And before she gets back, if you get sick of living out of a microwave, swing by the house. Joey would love to see you."

"I'll do that." Fritz hefted his bag of sugary loot. "I better get this home. If it's not exactly where she told me to store it…"

"Enough said." Andy backed away. "We'll talk when you aren't hauling precious cargo." He smirked as he turned. The other man was right, he thought, their wives could be just as alike as they were different. It was damned amusing at times.

Back in the murder room, Andy found Sharon standing in her office. She was staring through the window, watching the kid. He shook his head as he walked over. He pushed into the room without knocking. "No."

She looked up at him, eyes going wide with surprise. "No… what?" Her brows drew together in a puzzled look. "Maybe you can tell me what you're objecting to?" She rocked forward on her heels and smiled brightly at him. "I thought the day went surprisingly well."

"_You_ would." Andy shook his head at her. "We're not getting into that. It was a bullshit deal, whatever, I don't care. I'm talking about that little psycho out there with the bad attitude. The answer is no." He put his coffee down on her desk and leaned against it, hands flat against the surface. "I saw that look. It was the sad, _I feel so sorry for him_, look. We're not taking that little delinquent home with us."

Sharon sighed. "Andy, I can't get him another placement. He's burned almost all of the foster homes with openings that are willing to take a teenager. The only opportunity left at this point is a group home, and he's already threatened to runaway again. What am I supposed to do?" Her hands found her hips. "I don't want to take him home anymore than you do, but the fact still remains, we are responsible for his safety, and… this division did promise to find his mother in exchange for his assistance with the Stroh case, a situation that almost got him killed. He's sixteen, he's alone, and he's frightened." Sharon waved a hand at the window, on the other side of which Rusty was sitting. "What? I'm going to put him in a position to end up back on the street?"

"As far as we can figure out, his mother is a drug addict who ditched him to run off with her boyfriend. That's not exactly a workable solution here." Andy straightened. He folded his arms over his chest and frowned at her. "So, what? You want to bring that into the house? With Joey?"

"I know." She shifted uncomfortably and groaned. "It's not exactly a great solution. I'm just worried that if I force him into a group home, he'll be gone before morning. If we lose Rusty, the Stroh case falls apart. Then all of it was for nothing. Andy…" She cast a miserable look at him. "All of it. Putting Rusty in danger, Chief Johnson giving up her job, all of it means nothing if Stroh walks, and without Rusty that is a very real possibility."

Andy watched her draw her bottom lip into her mouth, then push her hands into her pockets. "Dammit." He shook his head at her. "You've already made up your mind. The kid is going home with us."

"Temporarily," she said quickly. "I spoke with his caseworker. She is trying very hard to find another placement for him, but in the meantime, he cannot stay here. It's a day, maybe two, no more than that. In the meantime, with any luck, maybe I can get Rusty to trust me enough to _stay_ in the foster home we put him in until we can find his mother. Or he testifies. Whichever comes first." Sharon shook her head. "It's not a great situation. I don't like it. The last thing I want is to bring my work anywhere near Joey, but… I can't stop thinking that Rusty is just a child too."

He followed her gaze. The kid was just sitting there, a sullen expression on his face. Andy had encountered that type before. Runaways, abandoned teenagers. The mouth and the attitude on that kid were worrisome. He didn't think he'd hurt Joey, but it wasn't the kind of environment they wanted around their young son. "Temporarily," he said. "Two nights, no more than that. The case worker gets him out of our house, and if that mouth gets him in trouble, so be it."

"Deal." Sharon folded her arms across her chest and smiled at him. "See, I am not completely unreasonable."

"Don't start, Sharon." Andy shot a warning look at her. "It's a bullshit system, and I'm trying here, but I need some time to get my head around it."

"Fair enough." Her smile softened. "While you're working on that, I think we are actually done here for the day. You can get Joey, and I'll handle Mr. Beck. We can meet at the house."

"Sounds good. Just one more thing." Andy sighed and picked up his coffee cup again. "Sykes?" He pinned her with a look. "_Sykes_? Really? Why, Sharon?"

She shrugged at him and smiled serenely. "I had to fill the vacancy that Sergeant Gabriel left behind. She's young and she has potential, and she comes highly recommended. I understand that there are going to be some obstacles, but—"

"She annoys the hell out of Provenza," he said drily. When her eyes only gleamed, he groaned. "Sharon, dammit!" Andy pinched the bridge of his nose. "The two of you are going to put me in an early grave."

"I'm sorry." She ducked her face and looked up at him through her lashes. "It might have been a bit impulsive on my part. I just couldn't help it. He was just really grating on my nerves…"

"You're on your own with that one." Andy turned away from her. "Whatever he does, whatever he says, I'm washing my hands of it as far as Amy Sykes is concerned. You did the crime."

Sharon rolled her eyes at his back. "Yes, thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate that."

"Whatever." He sniffed. "I'll see you at home." He tossed a look back at her that was close to a smirk. "Captain."

Sharon only smirked at his retreating back. Then she felt her gaze wondering toward the teenager again. "Alright, Rusty Beck," she said quietly. "Now it's your turn." The teenager had to be infinitely easier to manage than a group of frustrated and unhappy elite detectives.


	28. Chapter 28

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27<strong>

It was a nice house. That was the first thought that crossed Rusty's sullen mind. He stared at it as they pulled into the drive alongside a maroon looking car that was already parked there. Rusty got out of the car and took a moment to juggle his bag and crutches. _She_ had his other bag. He slanted a look at her as he drew the old knapsack over his shoulder and then started around the car. Rusty followed her up the walk, and then hobbled up the steps onto the front porch. As she pushed open the front door for him, and then stood aside so that he could enter, he slanted another look at her. "Don't think this means I'm like, grateful or anything."

Sharon suppressed the urge to smile. The young man was so angry. He had already told her that twice during the drive from Headquarters to Echo Park. "I know," she said simply, just as she had earlier. She wasn't engaging his sullen behavior. "Believe me, I'm well acquainted with the teenage capacity for ingratitude. You aren't the first." Sharon followed him into the house and secured the door behind her. "You won't be the last." Between the combined stubbornness of herself and Andy, she had a feeling that Joey would prove quite interesting as a teenager. Rusty cast a curious look at her as she said that, but Sharon ignored him. She strode through the house and left his bag sitting beside the stairs. "You can put your things here for now," she said. "Why don't you have a seat, and I'll make sure the guest room is ready for you."

"It's only for like a day, right?" Rusty questioned. "I'm good on the couch. I'll be gone soon." He hobbled around the large structure, stopping to eye the recliner nearby it curiously. It seemed to stand out compared to the rest of the house. The leather was old, worn, and brown. It didn't seem to fit with the trendy, boldly colored furniture that made up the rest of the room. He shook his head and decided the woman was just weird.

"A day or two, yes..." Sharon clasped her hands in front of her and watched him, striving for patience. "Until your case worker can find a more suitable placement, while-" She held up a hand when he opened his mouth to speak. "While we continue to look for your mother. As I said earlier, if I am spending time looking for you then I am not looking for her."

"Right so, foster care, got it. whatever." He rolled his eyes at her. "I've lived on my own before. No one cared until your stupid murder thing happened."

Sharon exhaled quietly through her nose. "Rusty, I'm not going to have that argument with you," she said quietly. "I suggest that you leave it in the past. For whatever reason there are people who care now. Now, if you will excuse me..." Dinner was on. She could smell the aromas permeating the air in the house. It smelled like something Italian. Simple, probably a pasta of some kind.

"Mamamamamama!"

She didn't make it far beyond the end of the sofa before a small whirlwind of dark hair and long limbs came toddling into the room. He stumbled on unsteady legs and feet that he hadn't quite grown into yet. Sharon laughed as he fell twice and climbed back onto his feet. "Come on," she encouraged. She held out her arms and once the baby reached her, she lifted him into an embrace. "Hello my darling. Were you good today?"

He heard her and was off before Andy could free up his hands and catch him. He shook his head as he stepped out of the kitchen to find Joey already babbling about his day to his mother. It was mostly gibberish. The sixteen-month-old only had a few solid words in his vocabulary, as was usual for that age. With the way that he was gesturing with his hands, it was obvious that he was going on about all of the injustices in his little toddler world. "Oh yeah, he only destroyed a handful of block towers. We're focusing less on destroy and more on build these days." Andy looked beyond his wife to the curious teenager on the sofa. The boy was watching them, seeming more cautious and less sullen at the moment.

Rusty leaned forward on the sofa to study the Captain and this kid that had appeared out of nowhere. No one had mentioned there being another kid involved. He shifted on the sofa. That should be a deal breaker as far as he was concerned. He didn't babysit. He tried to remind himself that it was only temporary. "So what," Rusty began, giving her a pointed look. "You're like a grandma? That's like, seriously old. You know that right? And why is _he _here? What are you, like, shacking up? I thought this was supposed to be an acceptable environment. What's so acceptable about that? Oh my god," he groaned, "you're not doing it are you? How gross is that!"

Andy rolled his eyes toward Sharon. He gave her a bland look. "Really?" This was what she thought was such a good idea. He frowned at her. Oh, sure, they were off to a grand start.

Her eyes closed. Her lips pressed into a thin line. She shook her head at him before she turned. "Rusty," Sharon spoke with more patience than she felt, and certainly with more patience than she could feel rolling off of Andy. "Joey is our son." As she spoke, she shifted the toddler to the side and onto her hip. "Lieutenant Flynn is here," she explained, emphasizing his rank, "because he is my husband and we live here together."

The teenager's eyes went wide. His jaw dropped open. "Someone married you?" His eyes flickered to Andy. "You married _her_?"

Sharon's lips pursed. Beside her, Andy took a step forward. She could practically hear his teeth grinding together. She lay a hand on his arm and shifted Joey toward him. At least if he was holding the baby his temper wouldn't get the best of him. It had been a long, less than pleasant, couple of days for both of them. "Rusty, you might find it amusing, but you are not the first person to ask that question."

"Damn kid thinks he's a comedian," Andy muttered. "I'm not laughing." He scowled at the teenager as he lifted Joey back into his own arms.

"Who's joking?" Rusty blinked at them. "Have you met her?"

"Yeah, actually, I have." Andy snarked back at him. "Right now she's the only thing keeping you out of a juvenile detention facility. Maybe you want to think about that before running your mouth again. Or we can just have you picked up? The choice is yours kid, we don't _have_ to do this. There are alternatives, and some of them you won't like too much. What? You're going to runaway again?" Andy snorted as the kid glared back at him. "I would like to see you try. Even if you did manage, how far do you think you're going to get before you get picked up by patrol again? Next time they'll just put you behind bars, no one will have the option of doing you any favors. Make no mistake kid, that's exactly what this is. So keep talking."

Sharon's head tilted slightly. She found herself suppressing a smile as Andy's words seemed to parallel what she had told the teenager earlier in the day. He did have a way of pushing buttons. She wondered how much of it was intentional, a defense mechanism against the situation he now found himself in, and how much of it was just typical teenage arrogance. She watched as Rusty's mouth snapped closed and his face was schooled into something more akin to a pout than a scowl. "Andy, why don't you take Joey back into the kitchen. I'm going to finish getting Rusty settled," she said gently, "then we'll join you for dinner."

Andy sighed. "Yeah, sure. We can do that." He shook his head at her. "I hope you can get through to him," he said quietly. "The kid is running out of chances."

Her hand stroked down his arm. She smiled at him as he turned away with Joey. "Yes, I understand." Andy was frustrated with Rusty's attitude, as was she, but it had been quite a bit longer since he'd had to deal with a teenager. She made a mental note that he would need to learn patience before Joey reached that stage in his life. They were certainly in for it.

Once Andy was gone, Sharon turned back to Rusty. She walked around and took a seat on one of the arm chairs nearby. Sharon folded her legs and tilted her head at him. "Rusty," she began carefully. "We understand how difficult this has been for you, but—"

"Somehow I doubt that," he said, rolling his eyes and cutting her off. "Look, I'm only here for a couple of days right? So can we just skip the part where you're so concerned about my wellbeing and my future and just get on with the part where you show me where I'm sleeping?"

Her brow arched. This boy was going to be far more stubborn than she had anticipated. He was so closed off to the world around him. Defensive and argumentative. She would need to finish looking through his file, familiarize herself with his history. What kind of life had this boy lived that he was so immune to simple human compassion? Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly. "Very well then. Do you think you can manage the stairs? I'd rather not have you sleeping on the sofa, even for only a few nights." She pushed out of the chair and walked around to the stairs, making it clear that he wasn't being given a choice.

"I can manage." Rusty hobbled along behind her. Going up the stairs wasn't nearly as hard as coming down them would be. The foster home he was in had stairs, and he'd gotten used to maneuvering them with the crutches. That part was unimportant. What he didn't need was people telling him what kind of life he should have, or what he needed to do to get by in this world. He had been on his own in it long enough. What he needed was for people to leave him alone and to find his mom. That would help considerably.

"You'll have to forgive the paint job," Sharon said, as she took him down the hall. "The room used to belong to my daughter. Emily lives in New York now." She had taken most of her belongings with her, and what she didn't take, had either gone into storage or was donated. There simply hadn't been time since the last of Emily's things were removed to repaint the walls. As she pushed the door open and stepped into the room, she was reminded just how much she missed her daughter. Her children would always have a place with her, but it was only natural that they would move on. Sharon imagined they'd be repeating the same process with Ricky's room soon enough.

Rusty moved into the room behind her and looked around. He watched her walk over and set his bag on the bed. There wasn't much in the room at all. The bed, a dresser, and a pair of night stands. It really didn't look as if anyone had ever lived in it. Except maybe for the lavender and cream colored walls. Rusty turned where he stood and cast a look at her as she moved back toward the door. "How many kids do you have?"

How he managed to make that sound both derisive _and_ genuinely curious, Sharon wasn't sure. "Three." She clasped her hands in front of her. "Emily is the oldest. Ricky lives in Palo Alto. He's recently graduated from college and working for a software firm there. Joey is the youngest." She turned slightly and nodded to the closed door across the hall. "The bathroom is there. Ricky's room is the one beside it. Andy and I are at the other end of the hall, as is Joey. You shouldn't be bothered." Sharon stepped into the doorway then. "Dinner will be ready soon. There should be time to get cleaned up if you like."

"So wait a minute," he said, before she could leave the room. "What am I supposed to call you?" His face screwed up. "You don't like, make everyone call you _Captain_ all the time, do you? That could get awkward."

Her brow arched. Sharon smirked at him. "Actually, I don't. For you, Rusty, I'm willing to make an exception." She left it at that as she turned to walk away from him. Respect would need to be earned, and not freely given. He would have to work a little harder if he expected to receive it.

Rusty watched her go and sighed. "Great," he muttered. "Now I'm stuck with Captain Rulebook." That was the name that he'd heard the older guy call her back at the police station. This was shaping up to be just wonderful. He really hoped they would find his mother soon. He had to get away from all these police officers.

Andy looked up as Sharon came into the kitchen. "Still think _that_ is such a great idea?" He pointed to the ceiling above them and shook his head. He shook freshly grated parmesan into the salad that would accompany dinner. He glanced over at Joey, who was playing with a pair of plastic cars in front of the back door, well away from the stove or being tripped over by his father. "That kid has some serious attitude, Sharon."

"Yes he does." She walked over and scooped Joey into her arms. She held him close and hummed quietly when he lay his head against her shoulder. "The thing is, Andy, this world hasn't exactly been very kind to that boy." She walked with Joey back to the center island and took a seat on a stool positioned there. She smiled when Joey began banging his toy car against the counter. "He was abandoned by his mother, forced to live on the streets, and then he was almost murdered by a serial killer. I think I might have some serious attitude also, if I were him." Sharon slipped out of her shoes and let the heels fall to the floor while her toes flexed against the bottom rung of the stool. "He could use a little compassion."

"He could use a kick in the ass." Andy leaned against the counter across from her. "Listen, Sharon, I'm not saying the kid shouldn't get a break, but come on. How much of that mouth are you willing to put up with?" He shook his head at her. "The little psycho…" He trailed off and rolled his eyes when she cast a warning look in his direction. "_Rusty,__" _he corrected, "isn't exactly feeling all that grateful for the help that you're tossing his way. In case you hadn't noticed."

"Teenagers are historically ungrateful beings." She smiled patiently at her husband. "Andy, he's sixteen. Do you remember what you were like at that age?" Her eyes sparkled up at him. "I wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine, and I had none of the baggage that Rusty is carrying around. Emily and Ricky were a handful too. The world was always ending. Everything was horrible. The drama was unbearable." Sharon chuckled quietly. "Now, factor in everything that Rusty has been through… he's been drug tested, more than once, and every one of them was negative. He's never stolen anything, that we know of, and aside from having sold his body on Sunset Boulevard, we have no record of any illegal activity on his part. There are teenagers with far more advantages than Rusty has had in his life with far worse records."

Andy groaned. He knew his wife, only too well. He stepped away from the island and walked over to lifted the pasta that was draining out of the sink. He placed it in a bowl and stirred in the sauce. "Why do I think this isn't going to be just a couple of days?" He cast a look back at her over his shoulder. "Don't you think this is one of those things we should actually discuss?"

"Hm." She lay her cheek atop Joey's head and just smiled at him. "I thought we were discussing it."

The sparkle in her eyes had him rolling his. Andy lifted the bowl with the pasta and carried it into the dining room to set in the center of the table, along with the salad. When he returned, he moved behind her and lay his hands against her shoulders. Andy dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "You make me crazy, you know that, right?"

"I do." Sharon tipped her head back and smiled brightly up at him. "I'm not thinking beyond the next few days, Andy. I promise. I just think someone has to give this child the opportunity to have a future, and right now, the only thing the city cares about is whether or not he'll be testifying in the Phillip Stroh case. Granted, that's very important, but testifying will be the least of his worries if he doesn't have a future at all."

Andy sighed. His hands squeezed her shoulders. "You are such a mom," he said. He smiled down at her, seeing nothing negative in that. "New nickname. Darth Mom." Andy moved away from her and perched instead on the stool beside her. "I get it, I do, but kids like this one come and go all the time, Sharon. He's had to grow up too fast, and I don't want to see you get manipulated by someone who is a little too streetwise for his own good. On top of that, we've got Joey to worry about, and then there's this transfer…"

"Yes." She reached up and let her hand rest against his cheek for a moment. "You don't need to worry about me, Andy. I've dealt with more than one wily teenager. Not to mention my share of troublesome detectives." The corners of her mouth twitched toward a more playful smile. "I haven't made any decisions where Rusty is concerned, and I won't, not without discussing them with you. But if Major Crimes wants to see an end to the Phillip Stroh saga, we may very well end up keeping our eyes on him for some time. I'd like you to keep that in mind."

"What happened to not bringing work home with us?" Andy stood up again. He kissed the side of her head. "Okay. You win. We'll play it by ear for a couple of days. Let's see what DCFS can do about an actual placement for the little—" He sighed again when she cleared her throat. "For _Rusty_, and then we'll talk. On the record, I don't like it."

"Noted." Sharon offered him a warm smile. "I understand your reservations. I also respect them, Andy. I'll call his caseworker first thing in the morning and ask for an update. Why don't we plan to talk about it again tomorrow evening?"

"You're on. Now let's eat, I'm starving." He waved her toward the dining room. "Crazy new boss wouldn't let us stop long enough to take a lunch break today. I'm going to lodge a formal complaint."

Her jaw dropped open. "That's not true!" Sharon's eyes went wide. "Andy Flynn, you take that back. If you didn't bother to grab lunch at an appropriate time during the course of your day—"

"Yeah, yeah," he pulled her off the stool and walked her into the dining room. "Keep telling yourself that, Sharon. I know the truth. The new boss kept me running around all day. It was all ooh, close the case, and ahh finish all your paperwork," he said, using a higher pitched voice.

Sharon's eyes narrowed at him. She lifted her chin and moved away from him. "Joey, your father is treading on incredibly thin ice at the moment. Don't look baby, I don't want you to see a grown man in over his head."

Andy waited until she had Joey fastened into his high chair before he reached for her. His arm circled her waist from behind. He drew her against his chest and pressed his face into the crook of her neck. "In over my head, huh?" He found the spot, just in the crook of her neck, and nuzzled it. When she laughed out and wriggled in his arms, Andy held her more securely. He kept one arm around her waist and wrapped the other around her torso.

It was that scene that Rusty hobbled in on. His brows lifted while his nose wrinkled. He blinked at the really odd old people in front of him. The _Captain_ was squealing and laughing at the same time. When she snorted, he shook his head. The little kid was watching all of it, clapping his hands and bouncing in his chair. Who were these people anyway? This couldn't be normal. The Lieutenant was chuckling as he held onto her, practically lifting her off her feet. "You people are really weird, you know that, right?"

"Nothing weird about getting even with you wife," Andy drawled back. He set Sharon back on her feet and stepped away from her. He pointed to a chair on one side of the table, opposite where Sharon would be sitting next to Joey. "Cop a squat, kid. I'm going to grab some drinks. Juice alright?"

"Water for me." Sharon smiled at him. She slipped around the high chair and into her own seat. She served Joey first and began cutting the pasta into much smaller pieces while they waited for Andy to return.

Rusty stood where he was for a moment, still surveying the room. Finally he limped forward and slid into the indicated chair at the table. He watched her tear off a piece of a dinner roll and hand it to the kid, while she continued fixing his plate for him. Rusty had vague memories of his mom doing stuff like that for him. Those were old memories, though, and way before she got too busy with all of the drugs and boyfriends that had come and gone in her life.

He remained mostly silent throughout the rest of dinner. They asked him about school, and what he liked to do for fun. Rusty tried not to slide back into sarcasm, or mention that his brand of fun generally included dates up in Griffith Park, since really, that wasn't fun. He kept his responses short, simple. For the most part, he sat there and listened. They talked about the guys in their department and the fact that she was new and everyone had to get used to it.

That didn't last long. When they started talking about the kid, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It wasn't just the baby that they talked about. They mentioned the ones that the Captain told him about upstairs, along with a couple of others. They talked about family dinners and getting together with them soon.

Rusty managed to sit there until he heard the Lieutenant call her by her name. Then he lost it a bit. The mistrust and the doubt that had been simmering just beneath the surface burst free. He left the table as quickly as he could, and wondered if anyone was ever going to be honest with him. Would anyone ever _really_ bother looking for his mom? Or was this another thing that he would have to do on his own. Why was it, he also wondered, that the police always had to lie about _everything_?

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Sharon was seated in the center of the bed when Andy finally trudged into their bedroom. He stood just inside the door for a minute and let his shoulders slump. She was wearing a short, blue robe, and her hair was pinned back, while she was painting her toe nails. _Painting her toe nails_. He shook his head at that and walked across the room. She was acting as if nothing had happened, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. The damned kid had pulled a runner on him.

They had gone to meet his mother at the bus stop. Andy turned his back for a second and the little psycho was gone. In hindsight, after seeing just how upset his wife was about Rusty running away, he realized that maybe his enthusiasm at the idea of finally getting rid of him had been a little too much. There was a part of him that kind of understood where the kid was coming from. His mother had ditched him, again, and this time a lot more publicly. Still, it would have been nice if he hadn't run off like that.

Andy was blaming himself a bit too. Not for turning his back long enough for the kid to run, but for ignoring all the little warning sirens going off inside his head that told him Sharon was getting attached. He realized, while they talked about the introduction of Sharon Beck into their lives and how long it was going to take for DCFS and a court to decide when or _if_ she could get her son back, that his wife wasn't really looking forward to that. At some point over the course of the last few weeks, while Rusty had been staying at their place, Sharon had really started to care about what happened to the kid.

He could admit that Rusty wasn't always a wise ass, but he could be a royal pain. He was seeing a little bit of what Sharon saw, a scared little boy that was constantly being abandoned by the people who were supposed to take care of him. Especially tonight. The kid was practically bouncing off the walls with the idea that his mother was coming for him. Then, the closer she got to them, he began to worry. She was an addict, and an alcoholic. Something the kid was acquainted with from the sound of it. The kid really thought that if he could keep the booze out of her line of sight she would lay off it. It was sad really, that he had to think like that at all.

Andy sighed as he toed out of his shoes and shrugged out of his jacket. He dropped his badge and phone onto the dresser and put his gun in the lockbox. With Joey starting to really walk and get around now, it was just safer that way. As he loosened his tie, Andy leaned back against the dresser and looked at his wife again. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. She hadn't said anything, but she did look up at him. "If I thought for a second that he was going to run, I never woulda—"

"That's not your fault." That was what she was waiting for. Sharon smiled and leaned forward, resting her chin against her raised knee. She capped the top of the nail polish and set it aside. "Rusty was upset. He was embarrassed. I should have looked here first, I just didn't think that he would actually _be_ here. He was waiting for us when Joey and I got home." Her lips pursed while she thought about that. "His mother really hurt him, more this time, I think than when she left him at the Zoo. She blindsided him with that, but there were some promises made. He let himself trust her. The second time is always the hardest, it's when you start think that maybe you aren't as loved as you believed." Sharon smiled sadly at him. "I think he'll be okay, but maybe for a few days we should both tread a little carefully."

"Hm." Andy folded his arms across his chest. She was drawing from personal experience. So that was why this kid had such a hold on her. She was thinking about Jack, seeing the parallels there between the situation with his mother and the life she lived with her ex-husband. Andy pushed away from the dresser and walked toward the bed. He dropped down to lay across the foot of it and propped his head in his hand. "She's a drunk, and an addict."

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging her thighs while she returned his gaze. "I can't imagine the life he's had, I'm not sure that I want to. Rusty is resilient, I think. He will find his place in this world, he just needs a little bit of help."

"Our help." Andy sighed. He curled a hand around one of her calves and leaned forward. His lips touched the smooth skin. "I knew this was going to happen," he rumbled quietly. "I told you not to get attached." She wanted to keep him. That was his wife, a believer in the underdog, a cheerleader for the hard cases. If only anyone really knew they'd cash in her Wicked Witch monicker for Mary Poppins. He loved that about her, this heart of hers. Even when he didn't understand it, he loved it.

"No," she said at length, and with a smile. "You asked me to promise that we would discuss any decisions regarding Rusty together." She passed a hand over his hair. "That is what we are doing. Andy, he's not a _bad_ kid. We've met plenty of those in our work. He's just a hurt kid. He's been abused, neglected, and abandoned. I don't think he even realizes the magnitude of the abuse that he's endured over the years. That he's come out of it with only the minor behavior issues that we've seen so far should speak to the kind of person that he could be if given the chance. I want to give him that chance. I really think that this boy has a lot of potential. I just don't see how he's going to reach that in a group home or a juvenile facility."

His hand stroked the length of her calf. He admired the bright, crimson red of her toe nail polish while he thought about what she was saying. She was right, they had seen kids that were a lot worse than Rusty in the behavior department. The kid might be a pain in their asses, but at least that was all. He wasn't violent and didn't seem dangerous in any way. He was awkward, sarcastic, and pretty unsure of himself. There was a reason for that. He didn't know where he belonged. Andy really tried looking at it the way that she was, but in the end, he mostly just worried that she was going to keep getting attached and just end up hurt once the kid was gone. He couldn't stay with them forever. That's not how these things worked. Eventually he was going to age out of the system. Whether that came before or after he got the chance to testify against Stroh was anyone's guess. That was, of course, assuming his mom didn't show back up and actually try to get him back first. Not much chance of that if her behavior that night was any indication.

Andy sighed again. He looked up at her. She seemed so hopeful, but confident at the same time. She really did believe in that kid. He could try to give him more of the benefit of the doubt, but he would be keeping an eye on the situation too. "Alright." Andy sat up on the bed. "You had me at the point where you started to cry because he ran off. The little psycho can stay if that's what you want."

"It is." She smiled brightly at him. "At least until something better comes along. This isn't about us, it's about Rusty. We're doing this for him." Sharon caught his arm before he could leave the bed. She pulled him toward her. He had a good heart, this stubborn husband of hers. Rusty would be okay, he would see that soon. "You should also know," she explained, "That I'm going to send him to Saint Josephs. It's a good school, Emily and Ricky both went there."

"Private school?" Andy's brows shot up. "Sharon…" He shook his head slowly. "Is that really a good idea? We don't know how long the kid is going to be here. He can stay, but…"

"But I think the structure will be good for him. He's smart, Andy. The curriculum there isn't easy. They're going to challenge him, and maybe, just _maybe_ once his mind is engaged a little more, then some of his attitude will fall away." She grinned at her husband. "He has to go to school. I'd much rather keep him out of a public school where the social element is… questionable at best. With Rusty's history—"

"Okay." He leaned over and dropped a kiss onto her mouth. "Send him to the private Catholic school. It's fine. I get it. I just hope that kid realizes and comes to appreciate all the trouble that you're going to for him. You're jumping through a lot of hoops here, Sharon. You deserve a little gratitude."

"Maybe." She hummed quietly and shrugged. "We'll see about that. I don't know. I'm not really worried about it. In the end what matters is doing what is best for this boy." Her hand stroked the length of his arm. "I know he tries your patience, Andy. It will get better, I promise. As much as we'll have to learn to trust him, Rusty is going to have to learn to trust us too."

Andy studied her for a moment before he stood from the bed. She had seen a kindred spirit in that boy. There was no turning her away from it now. Andy walked around the end of the bed and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "We'll figure something out," he said. "It's fine, Sharon. Just do me a favor?" When she looked up at him, he cupped her cheek. His thumb swept the curve of her bottom lip. "Be careful, okay? When you're wounded, it's easier to run than it is to stay. Rusty might've just run home tonight, because he was hurt, but he could have just as easily run off."

"I promise." She curled her hand around his wrist and turned her face into his hand. Her lips brushed his palm. The truth was, she was already attached and they both knew it. The boy needed someone in his corner, and she knew what it was to be let down and abandoned by someone who was supposed to love you. Jack was well and truly in her past, but in Rusty she spied some of the hurt she often witnessed in her children at their father's absence. It wasn't really the same situation, but there were parallels enough that her heart ached for him. "Thank you." Had he disagreed she'd have folded, sent Rusty back into foster care. She was more than capable of raising children alone, she had done that, but she wasn't alone any longer. They were together in this, the two of them. She would need Andy's help.

"Don't thank me yet." He said. Andy leaned down and let his lips trace the path that his thumb had gone, from her lips to her jaw. "It's going to be a long road with that one." He would keep an eye on both of them. "I'm going to look in on Joey," he said, "then hop into the shower."

"Go on." She gave him a gentle prod. "I'm okay here." Sharon wriggled her still drying toes. Her eyes sparkled. "By the time you're done with all of that, these should be dry enough for us to move on to more… interesting topics of discussion."

"You have all the best ideas." He grinned as he stepped away from her. "Stay put. I'll be quick."

Sharon laughed quietly as she leaned back against the headboard. She stretched her legs out in front of her and crossed her ankles. "Well, what's taking you so long?" She clasped her hands in her lap and tilted her head at him. "I'm waiting…"

Andy groaned. "Patience woman. Haven't you heard? We're both really old. We don't move that fast anymore." Rusty was very vocal about that fact every time that he found them kissing or even hugging. They were both very old, and it was very gross. When she snorted a laugh at him, Andy shook his head at her. "It's not that funny, Sharon."

"Oh, it is." Her eyes sparkled brightly. "We _are_ very old."

"You just don't move." Andy pointed a finger at her. He walked across the hall to peek in on his son. Joey was sound asleep in his crib, an arm wrapped tightly around a stuffed, floppy eared puppy. Andy drew a blanket over his legs before he stepped away again. Back in the hall, he paused. He glanced down it's length. The door to the room that Rusty had been occupying, Emily's old room, was closed. There was a light on beneath it. The kid was still up, but at least he was there. Andy sighed quietly. Her heart was engaged now. That just meant that the kid had more power to hurt her.

At the same time, Andy reminded himself that their kids always had the power to hurt them. Even when they didn't realize they were doing it. Especially when they didn't realize that they were doing it. Oh yeah, he was going to keep an eye on that kid alright. He would hope for the best, for all their sakes. Just maybe they would luck out, and everything would turn out for the best.


	29. Chapter 29

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28<strong>

She was _not_ an infinitely patient woman. This was something that Andy was very aware of where his wife was concerned. Sharon had her limits. She could be pushed only so far, and once she reached the edge of what she was willing to endure it was typically best to get out of her way. Failing that, you could only hope for the best.

Between what was happening at work with the continued attitude that she was getting from his partner, and the situation at home with the smart mouthed teenager that they were now responsible for, Andy had a feeling that they were approaching a Mount Saint Helens sized eruption.

He was the hot-tempered one. It came on fast and usually very loud, and often burned itself out just as quickly. With Sharon it tended to stew, until that moment when she simply could not take anymore and everything that she was working so hard to suppress finally came bursting through her enviable control. It provided for some very interesting arguments between the pair of them. Or, if she was _really_ mad at him, the silent treatment. Most of the time that just made him madder.

They weren't perfect people, and never claimed to be. They sure as hell weren't a perfect couple. Marriage was, as Sharon's father had said, work. Marriage and parenthood, the two hardest jobs on the planet, at least they were if you were doing it right.

It was easy to say that you loved someone, to fall into bed and try to cover all of your problems with sex and sweet words. That was a mistake they'd both made in their first marriages. This time around they were determined to get it right. It was worth it to them. _They_ were worth getting it right. So they argued. Then they talked it through and they made up. They didn't shout, and they didn't scream, and they never belittled one another. It was about finding a level of understanding and harmony, and knowing that no matter what, they were with the one person that they could air their grievances with. That laughter and tears ran hand in hand, and at the end of the day, whatever else they were to one another, lovers, partners, and coparents, they were also still friends.

So when Andy came home and found Sharon moving around the house, picking up the clutter with short, jerky movements, he knew that the eruption was near. Clutter was just a way of life with a toddler in the house. Toys got scattered. Factor in their busy careers, and things just fell by the wayside.

Now there was a teenager in the house. A teenager that was intent on leaving his shoes, his hoodies, and his books laying wherever he happened to put them at the moment. Andy's brows lifted as Sharon stalked around the living room, a laundry basket on her hip, picking up the discarded items that Rusty left laying around and tossing them in to it. When she tripped over a toy and tossed the basket onto the sofa, Andy shrugged out of his jacket. He lay it over the bannister and started rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

His wife was already in a pair of jeans and a fitted t-shirt. Andy walked over and took the book she had just lifted from the coffee table out of her hand. When she cast an annoyed glare at him, he took a step back. "I come in peace." He held his hands in front of him and smiled. "Where are the kids?"

Her eyes flashed. She huffed a sigh and tossed the book into the basket. "Joey is helping me pick up his toys, and Rusty is in his room." She pointed to where Joey was sitting, playing with several blocks and cars that he had pulled out of the toy box just as quickly as she put them there. He was occupied, however, and that was all well and good. It was the other one that was pushing the limits of her patience.

"Ah." Andy nodded slowly. The kid was usually in his room. He spent a lot of time there, or parked in front of the television. "Okay. Enough." He stopped her before she could finish her circuit of the room. How many times had she asked Rusty to pick up his things? Andy could recall at least two separate occasions, one of them just that morning. He walked over to the stairs and stood at the base of them. "Rusty!"

He yelled loud enough to be heard. Loud enough to have Joey dropping his toy and looking up, a curious expression on his face. It wasn't an angry shout though, and that was enough to keep the boy where he was and not frighten him. They heard Rusty's door close and then the sound of footfalls on the stairs. Andy moved back around to dump the basket of Rusty's things that Sharon had already picked up.

She folded her arms across her chest and sighed at him. Sharon didn't know what, exactly, that would accomplish. Now the room was just a mess again. When her husband moved to stand beside her, she slanted a look at him. _This had better be good_, it said.

"Last warning." Andy said, once Rusty had joined them. He pointed at the pile of belongings, and then waved his hand at the other things that Sharon hadn't gotten to yet. "Pick it up, take it to your room, or it's going in the trash." It earned him a slightly sharper look from his wife and a narrow-eyed look from Rusty. "You want to leave your stuff laying around, do it up there. Sharon's not your maid, and I don't want to listen to any crap if Joey gets his hands on it. You've been asked more than once."

Rusty glared at him. So this was how it was going to be? He should have known it was too good to be true. "You can't throw my stuff away. That's like, abuse, or whatever. It's _my_ stuff. I was going to get it. I was just busy."

"No," Andy said at length. "You were parked in front of that computer, which you won't be touching again for the rest of the night. You've had plenty of opportunity to do something with it the last few times you were asked." He pointed at the pile again. "I can toss it out into the street if I want, it's my house. Now get it picked up, get it back upstairs. When you get done with that, you can take out the trash that I know you haven't touched yet either." Usually because it took reminding him two or three times to grab it.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Rusty's jaw dropped open. "You can't_ do _that!" He reached over and started picking up his things, pulling them into his arms with short, angry movements.

"Wanna bet?" Andy stared hard at him. "Try me, kid."

Sharon didn't say anything, but she reached out and lay a hand on his arm. The confrontation was quickly escalating, and that was probably not what Rusty needed at the moment. They needed to keep their heads, but a little tough love wouldn't be remiss either. "Rusty," she spoke more quietly, playing the _good cop_ to Andy's bad one. "I understand that it has been a difficult few days, but if this is going to work, then we need some ground rules. Your things do not belong spread out all over the house, specifically where Joey can get to them." She glanced at where the toddler had gotten up and walked over to lean against the opposite end of the couch, now far more interested in the argument than he was in his toys. "Your things belong in your room—"

"It's not my room!" Rusty glared at her. His lip curled. "It's just a place where I'm sleeping, temporarily, while you try to figure out how to get me to testify in your stupid trial. Then you're going to toss me out—"

"Rusty, no…" Sharon smiled sadly and shook her head at him. "That is not at all what we are saying, nor have we said it, and we certainly are not planning on sending you anywhere. The living room is a public, family domain. The bedroom that you are sleeping in is where your things belong, thus it is currently yours. I do not believe that it is unfair that we ask you to keep your things picked up, nor do I think it is unfair if we expect—"

"Fair? What do you know about fair." Rusty made a face at her. "Whatever. You want me to pick up my stuff, I'll do that. I'll take out the freaking trash, but you can't throw my stuff away, and you can't act like you care about me. Don't start acting like this is anything but temporary. I'm not your kid, and you are _not_ my parents!"

"No, we're actually here," Andy snapped at him. "We're here and they're not, you are going to have to start figuring out how to accept that and make it work, because we're all you've got kid."

"Okay." Sharon took a step forward. She wrapped a hand around her husband's wrist and put herself between the two of them. "Yes. We're here. That's true, and Rusty, we are trying very hard to respect the independence that you are used to having, but you are not an adult. You are a sixteen year old boy who happens to be living in our home. We want to help you, but you are going to have to let us. That means picking up your things, doing the chores that we ask you to do, going to bed at a reasonable hour, and _yes_ going to school. We need you to meet us in the middle, and I don't think that is too much to ask. Do you?"

He stared back at her for several long moments. His gaze shifted to Andy. "Whatever." Rusty picked up the remainder of his things and hurried away from them, practically trotting up the stairs with his arms full.

When his door slammed closed behind him, Sharon's lips pursed. She nodded once and turned. She arched a brow at Andy. "Smooth. Very smooth, Flynn."

"Yeah?" He gave her a wry look. "Well, you walking around here picking it up for him with a full head of steam was doing such a bang up job too, babe."

Her eyes narrowed. She hated when he called her that, and he knew it. Sharon turned on her heel and walked away from him. "I'm going to start dinner. After Rusty takes out the trash, you can put the cans out by the curb."

"What'd I do?" Andy sighed. He looked down at Joey. "You know, I just don't get that woman sometimes." He walked over and scooped the boy up. He held him so that they were on eye level, an arm wrapped around his upper legs and his hand resting against his son's back. "Joey, it's just you and me, pal. Two sane guys in a hurricane of crazy."

"That hole is getting deeper." Sharon leaned back where she stood, studying the contents of the pantry, to glare at him through the open kitchen door.

Andy strolled into the kitchen with Joey still in his arms and leaned against a counter. "I'm not going to play around with the kid's attitude. He's going to pick his crap up, or there are going to be consequences. You think it's a good idea to keep walking around here on eggshells with him? I don't. His mom ditched him, he has no other family that we know of, or that _he_ knows of for that matter."

"Oh, I have no problem with that." She moved around the kitchen, pulling down pans and taking out ingredients. "He could use an attitude adjustment. But he's not a suspect. Scare tactics aren't going to work with Rusty. He's going to close up, dig his heels in, and fight even harder."

"Alright." He shook his head at her. Andy grinned. "We'll do it your way, but the next time you have to ask him more than once to pick up his crap, it's mine."

"Hm." She cut a sideways look at him and laughed. Here he was, jacket gone, but still wearing vest and tie, and looking very nice in the dark, gray pin-stripe three piece suit that was her favorite. "Yes, and wouldn't you look just great in that blue hoody."

"Hey!" He made a face at her. "I can be casual."

"Oh yes." She turned away from him, still laughing. "I believe you. Andy, you've never worn a hoody in your life."

"Sure I have." He pushed away from the counter and lifted Joey up onto his shoulder, making the boy squeal. "In like, 1976. I had these bell-bottoms that went with it. Cops would pull us over, and my buddies and me, we'd hide our six packs in 'em. Those were the days." She was laughing at him. When she snorted, Andy smirked. "You think I'm joking? Hell, I was just glad I became a cop about the same time the bell-bottoms went out. I'd have felt like a real hypocrite bustin' people on all the crap I got away with."

She shook her head at him. Sharon had to lean against the counter she was laughing so hard. "No, I'm just trying to imagine you dressed like that and it isn't working for me."

"Oh hell, that's got nothing on the eighties, sweetheart." Andy bounced Joey on his shoulder. "Two words, Miami Vice."

When she snorted again, he lowered Joey to look at him. "See? What did I tell you? Hurricane of crazy son. Hurricane of _Crazy_." He shook his head. "She's laughing at me, but I just bet she had big hair. Let's go call your nana and find out. I got money on her having pictures."

That sobered her quickly. She pointed the wooden spoon she had only just lifted at him. "Do not even think about it, Andy Flynn. I promise you, the consequences will be severe."

He thought about it for all of a second. "I'll take my chances." With a smirk, he hefted a giggling Joey onto his shoulder again and strolled out of the room. "Joey, I've got another ten bucks on leg warmers too. In fact, there are even some old photo albums in the study. We'll try those first."

She dropped the wooden spoon onto the counter and went after him. "Andrew Michael Flynn, do _not_!"

Rusty was standing near the bottom of the stairs, still sullen and angry at them. He had come down to do the trash thing so that they'd leave him alone for the rest of the night. He rolled his eyes at them as they went down the short hall to the study that also served as the home office. He stepped into the living room and sighed. He could hear the laughter, and the wheedling. There was going to end up being a debate, probably some bargaining. Then there would be the very gross making out.

He shook his head and walked toward the kitchen to empty the garbage can there. "They think _I_ need help?" These people were seriously weird if you asked him.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Andy was in the garage when Rusty got home from school the next day. Now that he wasn't in emergency care anymore, they were letting him take _some_ responsibility for getting himself to and from the places that he needed to be. Sharon kept insisting that he take a cab, though. She wouldn't let him take the bus. He didn't understand that. He was very familiar with the bus. It was fine. Normal people took the bus all the time. It was just another way that she was weird, if you asked him.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Rusty shifted his book bag on his shoulder as he walked toward the open garage door. The Lieutenant's car was parked in the drive. Now that he thought about it, both of their cars were usually in the driveway, rather than in the garage. It was typically closed. Rusty could remember only being in there like, once. Maybe twice.

It wasn't like it was filled with junk. The boxes and containers that occupied it were stacked neatly along the wall. There was still room enough for both cars. They just didn't really use it much. Rusty seemed to understand the reason for that now. The garage door was only half raised and the Lieutenant was in jeans and a t-shirt, standing on a ladder, working on… well, something.

Andy glanced over from where he was trying to fix, finally, the garage door assembly. Half the time the damned thing got stuck. He had been meaning to do it for a long time now. They had some rain heading their way, which was a rarity in and of itself, but the fall was usually a wetter time for southern California. If it did happen to rain, they didn't want to have to cart Joey to or from the car in the damp weather. The garage was attached to the house, everyone could stay nice, dry, and cozy. Andy was a big fan of that himself.

He lowered his arms and took a few steps down on the ladder. Then he leaned against it to look at the teenager who was trying so hard to push them to their limits. "I was." Andy shrugged. "We got done. I came home. Sharon's running some errands. She and Joey will be back in a little while. Maybe by then, I'll have this idiot thing working."

"I wondered why no one ever used the garage." Rusty made a face at him. He walked over and let his bag drop to the garage's cement floor. "I was starting to think maybe this is where you hid all the bodies."

"No, we save that for the basement." Andy smirked at him. "This idiot thing gets hung up. It's been needing to be fixed for a while, but I haven't had the time." And he wouldn't let Sharon hire it out. It was one of the odd habits you got into when you worked in law enforcement for as long as they had, especially homicide. You didn't let repairmen, or strangers in general, into your house or onto your property if at all possible. Andy tilted his head and studied the kid for a moment. He was looking at the assembly curiously. "Go get out of that getup and get down here. You can help me. I need an extra pair of hands," he decided. The kid wanted to be treated normally? Well, he could do that.

"Huh?" Rusty looked down at his school uniform and then back up at the Lieutenant. "Help you do what?" He took a step back and squinted at the man. Was he on drugs? "I don't fix things," Rusty said slowly.

"Yeah, well, now you can learn." Andy climbed back up the ladder and lifted the socket wrench again. "Go, you heard me."

Rusty groaned and rolled his eyes. He picked up his book bag and walked into the house. He should have just kept going, he realized. He drug his feet changing. Even grabbed himself a soda before he went back out into the garage to help the Lieutenant. Then he was even more delayed because halfway there, he realized he should go back and get Andy one too. When Rusty stepped back into the garage, he carried both sodas and had traded his school uniform for jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

He put both of the drinks on the work bench that lined one wall of the garage. There was an open toolbox on the floor near the ladder. Rusty walked over and stood beside it. He looked up. "Okay. Now what?"

Andy looked down at him. His brow was raised as he studied the kid. Not sullen, just curious, and more than a little bit cautious. He reached out a hand toward the toolbox. "Hand me that screw driver. The phillips."

Rusty bent and stared into the toolbox. His face screwed up and he looked up at the man again. "What is _that_?"

Good grief, the kid really did need their help. Andy suppressed the urge to sigh. "The round one with the odd point on the end. The other one would be flat."

"Oh." Rusty found it easily and lifted it toward him. Then he walked around so that he could see what he was doing better. His head inclined. "Do you even know what you're doing?" He neither felt nor looked very confident in the Lieutenant's handyman skills.

He snorted quietly. "You know, it's not my first garage door." Andy slanted a look down at him. "No old jokes. But yeah, I have done this before. It's just an old house, that's all. Things break, you have to fix or replace them." He grunted as he turned the screw driver. The assembling was being stubborn as hell. It wasn't the motor on the door lift, Andy had already figured that much out. There was a catch in the assembly itself.

"Wow." Rusty smirked. "So I guess… you guys have lived here a really _long_ time then?" His eyes sparkled merrily. He'd found a way to get the joke in there. He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"Cute." Andy leaned his hip against the side of the ladder and stared down at the kid. "Keep it up smart aleck." He shook his head. "Sharon has. She and her first husband bought this place together when Emily was a baby. From what she said, they basically remodeled the whole thing."

"So…" Rusty looked confused. "Then this is _her _house and not _your_ house?" A frown drew his brows together and he shook his head. He knew that they'd both been married before, just not the timing of it all. They both had kids, then they had one together. It was all really typical and almost disgustingly normal in Rusty's opinion. "How does that happen?"

"How does anything happen?" Andy shrugged. "Her place was bigger than mine. When I moved in last year, we got rid of my place, and that was it. Not much too it." The kid wasn't usually all that curious about things that didn't or wouldn't affect him. Andy watched him closely and tapped the screw driver against the palm of his hand.

"Last year?" Rusty's eyes widened. "Wait, you haven't been here like, _forever_?" His brows rose into his hairline. "You people are really weird."

"No, not forever." Andy rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the door assembly. "We've only been married a year, Rusty. Actually, it was a year just a couple of weeks ago. I moved in a couple of months before that. So yeah, last year." He shrugged. "It's been a busy year."

"I'll say." Rusty snorted. He moved a little closer to the ladder and craned his head to look up. "Wait, that means you moved in and got married _after_ Joey was born." He smirked. "So…" Rusty's mind was doing the math quickly and turning over all the possibilities. "Does that mean that you're not as perfect as the world thinks you are?"

He was entirely too gleeful. Andy's eyes narrowed. "Never pretended to be perfect, Kid. Things happen. You adapt. I would've liked to have gotten married a whole lot sooner than that, but life happens the way that it happens sometimes." His brow arched, he studied the boy closely. "You know?"

Rusty thought about that. He thought about how things were happening for him, some of them out of his control. "Yeah," he sighed. "I can get that."

Andy watched him fidget. "Hey, get up here and give me a hand with this." Sharon thought that focusing Rusty's attention on normal activities was the best way to get through to him. He wouldn't see a counselor, so they were trying to find other ways to help him cope. Make life seem normal. There wasn't a lot that Andy knew about raising teenage boys. He wasn't around Charlie much when he was this age. He figured he was just as new to this as the kid was.

"I don't know about that." Rusty eyed the ladder. He took a step back from it and shook his head. "You know, I'm good down here, with the tools."

"I need a pair of hands." Andy arched a brow at him. "You going to help or not?"

Rusty sighed. "Just for the record, I kind of don't like you right now." He took one step forward, and then another. He took a deep breath when he reached out to hold onto the ladder's other side. He moved up it slowly. He froze every time it tried to wobble. Their combined weight seemed to make it steadier.

"Kid, for the record…" Andy tapped the pieces he needed him to hold. "You're sixteen. You're not supposed to like anyone right now."

He thought about that. Rusty grinned. "Fair enough." He reached up and held onto the pieces. When his hands got immediately dirty, he groaned. "Really?"

Andy chuckled. "It'll wash. You're fine. Wait until I show you how to change the oil in the car."

Rusty groaned again. "You're not cool. Not cool at all." He really didn't like getting dirty.

"Hey, you want to drive? You learn. We'll do the tire change lesson while we're at it. Get you all filthy at once." Andy grinned crookedly.

"That has got to be classified under cruel and unusual blackmail." Rusty sighed. "You know," he tried, "I don't think Sharon would like the idea of you making me do things that make me uncomfortable just for the—"

"It was her idea." Andy laughed. "Nice try kid. Points for effort. We'll work on the delivery."

Rusty sighed. "You people are _so_ weird."

They were still on the ladder when Sharon's silver sedan pulled into the drive a while later. It came to a smooth stop and she got herself and Joey out of it. She walked toward them, still in the suit that she'd worn to work that morning, heels clicking against the pavement. She looked up at the pair of them, Andy was directing Rusty as the boy turned a screwdriver. Her brows lifted in question while a small, but confused, smile curved her lips. "What is all of this?"

"Slave labor," Rusty grunted. His palm ached from the grip he had on the screwdriver as he tightened the screw one final time.

Andy rolled his eyes at him. "A lesson in simple mechanics, that's all. We're fixing the door." He leaned sideways a bit to look at his wife. "Give me a minute, and I'll help you unload the car."

"No." He was filthy. They both were. Sharon shook her head. "I've got it. You just…" She waved a hand at them. "Finish that and get cleaned up." Her nose wrinkled. "Do I want to know what you did to it?"

"Probably not." Rusty looked down with a half grin. "It was involved and I learned a new vocabulary. All very interesting."

"Uh huh." Sharon squinted at Andy. "A new vocabulary?" Her lips pursed, she could just imagine.

Rusty rolled his eyes at her. "You know, like phillips? Socket? Allen wrench." He smirked at her. "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Hm." Sharon ignored them as she walked toward the door that opened into the house. "We'll talk." She cast a look at her husband from over the rims of her glasses.

He looked at Rusty and shrugged. "So suspicious."

"It's not healthy," the boy agreed.

"Weird even," Andy stated.

"That's what I've been saying!" Rusty heaved a sigh. He reached up to tighten the other screw that was waiting on him. "At some point you people have got to start listening to me."

"Yeah?" Andy smirked. "Odder things have happened around here. We'll see."

When Sharon returned a few minutes later, after getting Joey settled in his play yard in a corner of the family room, they didn't seem to notice her at all. They were talking quietly and inspecting the repair job they'd done. She took a moment to lean against the door frame, arms folded over her chest and watch them. Rusty, for all that he wrinkled his nose and argued with them, tried to ignore them and shrug them off, and pretended to not want anything that they were offering, was hanging on every word. The boy was starved for attention. He wouldn't admit it, and he didn't like people to acknowledge it.

He was trying to be strong. To be tough. What he needed was to be a child, but he'd had to grow up far too quickly and much too soon. It wasn't easy, balancing the act between treating him like the child that he needed to be and remembering just how independent his life forced him to become. Sometimes it felt as though they were walking a tightrope with him. Despite his arguments to the contrary, Rusty wanted to be accepted. He wanted a normal life. He just didn't think that he could get it, or that he even deserved it.

It would be their job to show him otherwise, and it wasn't going to be easy. Parenting came with challenges as it was, and Rusty was a challenge all on his own. The trick would be in not giving up on him. Too many people had already done that.

Mostly, it was up to Rusty. The door was open for him.

Sharon pushed away from the door and strode across the garage when they began testing their hard work. The door was raising and lowering with ease now, although it was making an ungodly racket. Her brows rose as they came down off the ladder. "What's the verdict?"

"You need a new door." Rusty hopped off the final rung of the ladder and wrinkled his nose at his hands. "Ugh. You need a whole new garage," he decided in disgust.

Andy smirked as he came down, much more slowly. "He's not wrong, at least about the door. It's going to have to be replaced. We could replace the assembly itself, but it will be cheaper just to do the whole thing. It's all the salt and moisture in the air, corrodes the metal over time. It's working, but it should really go."

Rusty made a face at him. "You're not going to make me do that are you? I draw the line."

"No." Andy rolled his eyes at the boy. "We'll have someone come out and take care of it. Go get cleaned up. I'll put all this up."

"Gladly!"

Sharon laughed as Rusty hurried away. "He objects to getting dirty. Good to know." She shook her head. "How did you talk him into helping?"

"I asked." Andy shrugged. "The kid didn't have anything better to do. He's not always a complete smartass." He gathered tools and dropped them back into the toolbox. Afterward, he closed the ladder and moved it back into the corner where it was stored. "Need help unloading the car?"

"Not with that on your hands." Sharon turned away from him. "You should take your own advice. Go get cleaned up."

"What?" He held his hands out from his body. "No hug?" He started toward her with a crooked grin. She was wearing the cream colored dress and a navy blazer.

"Andy Flynn." She pointed her finger at him. "If you touch me with those hands, I will shoot you."

"Yeah?" He continued tracking her toward the car. "I guess we'll see about that…"

Inside, Rusty heard the laughter. He looked down from his bedroom window. He rolled his eyes at them. "Weirdos." He grinned as he got a fresh t-shirt and went to the bathroom to get cleaned up before dinner. One of these days he was going to write a book about living with the weirdest foster parents on the planet.


	30. Chapter 30

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29<strong>

In the days that followed, and especially with his mother ditching him at the bus station and not even bothering to show up, Rusty thought about what they'd told him. They were there, and his mother was not. There were not a lot of people lining up to help him out. As much as he talked about the idea of having been on his own, he really didn't want to go back out onto the street. He didn't want to end up in a group home or juvenile facility either.

He could do the whole school thing. Even if he did get off to a rocky start there too. It was funny. Andy was riding his ass constantly, pick up his things, watch his mouth, stop it with the attitude. But then he got into one little fight at school with three boys, and Sharon flipped her lid. She gave him the silent treatment all night, but it was Andy that thought _she_ was being too hard on him.

Maybe they weren't all bad. He didn't need or want them to buy him things, but they were sending him to a pretty decent school, and that meant uniforms and other things that he needed for school. He didn't have a lot in the way of clothes, there was only so much that he could carry around in his old knapsack. They helped him out with that too. Although Rusty resolved to pay it all back, he stopped bringing that up. It just didn't do anything but tick them off when he mentioned it.

Instead, he did the chores they asked him to do. How hard was it to load a dishwasher or take out the trash? It wasn't like they had him scrubbing floors and cleaning windows. It wasn't a big deal. He could do this, he could be this person. Rusty just didn't think that it was going to last. Nothing in his life that was ever good lasted long. So he approached it with the same caution that he approached everything.

It was good that he did. He was only with them a couple of months before the whole issue of his biological father came up. The last thing Rusty wanted was anything at all to do with his father. The court and its stupid rules were pushing the idea. At first, he just thought they wanted to get rid of him. Why wouldn't they? If he had an actual parent out there somewhere, didn't that mean they'd get their house back? They would no longer have to worry about all their kids and the whole awkward situation that existed with having to explain who he was and _why_ he was with them.

Boy was he wrong.

Rusty straight up thought that Sharon was going to have to sit on Andy, possibly handcuff him, to keep him from going to beat the crap out of Daniel for hitting him like he had. In the time that he had been with them, Rusty had never heard them _fight_ the way they had that night. She went all _Captain Raydor _on him, and that was something Rusty hadn't seen happen at home. To say that Flynn hadn't liked it… well, Rusty was pretty sure that even _he_ was too young to hear some of those words.

Just when he was ready to leave his room and beg them to stop fighting, especially about him, it stopped. Worried about that, because in his experience no more yelling meant a lot of bad things, Rusty had crept down the hall and eased down the stairs to peek in on them. Sharon was sitting on him, alright, but he wasn't handcuffed and thank _God_ for that. Seriously, ew. Rusty was glad he wouldn't have to see _that_, and that they weren't making out, oh and that they weren't fighting anymore.

They were still talking, however, and they ended up doing that for most of the night. He didn't know _what_ they were talking about until much later, when they actually put their little plan into motion. They were sneaky. Rusty learned that very quickly.

Even now, two days after they pushed Daniel Dunn out of his life for good, Rusty was still reeling about it. They kept him. They did it all to _keep_ him. No one had ever done that before. It was kind of cool, actually. It blew his mind. He didn't know what to really think about it. Lieutenant Provenza told him to watch out for those two. That they were dangerous when they teamed up against anyone, much less someone they were unhappy with. Rusty thought the old guy was seriously right about that.

That didn't mean that Rusty no longer thought they were weird. They were still seriously weird. Weird and gross. _Horny old people_.

In the beginning he didn't spend a lot of time around Joey, but after he was with them a while, that changed. They never asked him to babysit. Rusty was happy about that. With the way they were helping him, though, he started offering. Why was it a big deal for him to watch the kid if they got stuck at work late? Not like the kid was a whole lot of trouble. He mostly played or followed Rusty around anyway.

Sharon was kind of nervous about that. So was Andy. Rusty didn't get it, but that was before Provenza explained that they were just a little overprotective about the kid in general. Rusty guessed that having your kid spend weeks in a hospital when he was born would do that. So it wasn't about _him_, it was just about them. They relaxed eventually, and now with his father out of his life, it was almost like having a real family.

Okay, so Andy barely tolerated him most of the time. Rusty had his number too. The guy had issues with his own kids, the older ones, and was just wary of him in general. As Lieutenant Provenza explained, things were getting better there. It was a process. Oh, and he also said that Flynn was just a worrying woman sometimes. Rusty figured he had all the intel, he'd just stick with Provenza on all things he needed to know about these people that were in his life now.

Life was just beginning to settle down again. It had only been a couple of days since the Daniel thing, but Sharon and Andy were big on normal. They weren't pretending that it hadn't happened, but they were letting him deal with it in his own way. That meant a lot of reading and chess. He didn't want to think about Daniel. Rusty didn't want to think about any of it. He just wanted to get back to the way things were before Dunn came into his life. Oddly enough, Rusty was even starting to think that normal was being awakened late at night by the sounds of a frantically crying baby.

He poked his head out of his room and squinted as he looked down the hall. The lights were on in both Sharon and Andy's room, and Joey's. With his door open, the crying was only that much louder. Rusty shuffled down the hall and peeked into the nursery, but found it empty. He looked across the hall, and although the door was open, he hesitated at going into _their_ bedroom. He never went in there. It was just too awkward. That seemed to be where the crying was coming from, however, and so Rusty finally moved just inside the door and looked around.

There was no sign of Sharon or Andy. The bathroom door was open. He walked over toward it and poked his head inside. Sharon was on her knees by the tub, and a very angry Joey was sitting inside it. She was bathing him down. Not like a normal bath, but she was smoothing water over his shoulders and down his back. His skin was flushed, and Rusty figured that had to be from more than just the crying.

"Is he okay?"

Sharon looked up, surprised and apologetic. "I'm sorry, Rusty. We were hoping you'd sleep through this. Joey isn't feeling very well. He has a cold, and probably an ear infection. We're trying to get his temperature down." Her little boy was burning up and obviously in some discomfort. He didn't have crying fits like this.

"Shouldn't you take him to a hospital then?" Rusty took a step closer. The kid didn't look too great as far as he was concerned.

"If we can't get the fever down, we will." Sharon smiled warmly at him. "We'll give him some medicine and make him comfortable. In the morning I'll call his regular doctor, but if the medication doesn't work tonight then yes, of course, we'll take him to the emergency room. It's just better to avoid it whenever possible, children can pick up more germs in that environment."

"Okay, I found the damned thing." Andy walked into the bathroom carrying a bottle of tylenol and a medicine dropper. "I can't believe we didn't have a damned one of these up here. Hey kid…" He acknowledged Rusty as he walked around him. "Go back to bed. It's alright." He sat down on the edge of the tub to draw up the dose for Joey.

"Well, he hasn't needed it since he was teething," Sharon reminded him. "I think we just forgot to bring the droppers back up." She smiled at him.

Rusty watched them tag team the medicine giving. It was obvious that they had a system. Sharon held Joey steady, even while he wasn't having any of that situation, while Andy shot the medicine into his mouth. Rusty's brows climbed into his hairline. He'd never seen that baby so unhappy in all the time he'd been living with them. Joey screwed up his face and he screamed, as if they were killing him, and really they weren't. "I can't believe anyone was ever worried about those lungs," he said.

Andy chuckled. "Oh, you're not the only one. Trust me, kid. This one could yell down the house when he's got it in his head to do so." He reached over and smoothed Joey's hair back from his forehead. The baby jerked his head away and Andy chuckled again. "I know buddy, we're having a bad night."

"Hm." Sharon smirked as she used a sponge to keep bathing the baby down. "Wonder where he gets it from." She flashed an amused look at her husband.

"His mother, obviously." Andy leaned forward to brush a kiss against her cheek. "I'm far too reasonable."

Even Rusty snorted a laugh at that. "Yeah, it's important that _you_ believe that." He folded his arms across his chest and took another minute to survey the scene. They didn't seem too worried about Joey being sick. They _were_ concerned, but no one was panicking. Like this was normal, and he guessed that kids _did_ get sick sometimes. "I'm going back to bed," he decided. "If… like, you decide to take him, you'll tell me?"

Sharon looked up at him and her face softened. "Yes," she said gently. "I'll wake you before we leave. It'll be fine, Rusty." He'd had too many blows in the past two months, and was only just _truly_ getting comfortable with them. Although she didn't like to worry him, she was proud of him for the way he was beginning to think of others more often. "I have done this before, you know."

"Yeah." Rusty smirked as he turned to leave the bathroom. "Like, twenty-something years ago. I wouldn't brag about that. Kinda makes you old."

"Hey." Andy frowned at him, but when Rusty tossed a teasing grin back at them, he rolled his eyes. "That's right, laugh it up smart aleck. Oh hey, that satellite you like so much, that can be turned off."

"Never happen." Rusty turned and backed out of the bathroom. His smirk only grew wider. His eyes sparkled back at them. "You turn it off, no game watching." He snapped his fingers and pointed at Flynn. "Nice try though. Big points for delivery. It's okay, we'll work on it."

Andy's eyes narrowed. He waited until Rusty was gone before his head inclined. "I hate it when they use logic on us." He looked down at his wife. Her head was bowed and her shoulders were shaking. She was laughing. That much became readily apparent when she snorted. "You know he was including you in that too, right? Laugh it up, old woman."

"I will." She handed him the towel she had waiting for Joey. When he had it open in front of him, she lifted the baby out of the tub and handed him over. When Andy had him wrapped in his arms, she pulled the stopper in the tub and stood. "Would you like to know the most amusing part?" Sharon arched a brow at him. A crooked smile curved her lips. "I'm still younger than you."

"I knew she was going to say that." Andy stood with Joey and followed her out of the room. "Don't look at me," he told the boy. "She's _your_ mother."

"You married me." Sharon stood at the bed, a clean sleeper and diaper in hand for Joey.

"I'm going to choose not to comment on that one." It might have taken him a while, but he had learned when _not _to open his mouth. He lay Joey on the bed instead. Getting the unhappy little boy dressed was another exercise in tag-team parenting.

Afterward, once Joey was dressed, they lay down with him between them. It took a while to get him calmed down enough that he would lay on the bed between them, occasionally sniffling. Sharon took his temperature again and was satisfied that it had come down, not completely, but it was lower. When Joey rolled over onto his stomach and drew his legs beneath him, she smiled.

They were both tired, and had gone to bed early. Now that it seemed they'd both be awake, at least for a little while longer, Sharon propped her head in her hand. "What did Chief Taylor want earlier?" They had decided to talk about it over breakfast, but it was unlikely now that either of them would feel like doing much beyond ingesting large amounts of caffeine once morning arrived.

Andy lay on his stomach, an arm curled around his pillow. He grunted quietly. "Our probation period is up." When he decided to stay in Major Crimes with his wife as his captain, Taylor had given the pair of them a sixty-day probationary period in which to determine whether or not working together would be possible. Not only for themselves, but for the cohesion of the team as a whole. "You save him too much money to get rid of." Andy rolled his eyes. "So, I can stay where I'm at, and if we screw up at any point in the future, I'm gone. Forcibly transferred or retired, probably the latter knowing Taylor," he said ruefully. "Or, I can slide over to Robbery-Homicide. Captain Ellis is retiring at the end of the year. RH has a young Lieutenant and a couple of sergeants. The good news is, when Ellis took over after Taylor got promoted, the idiot twins of Davis and James both transferred out to Hollywood division. They didn't like having all their best cases get swallowed up by Major Crimes. So I wouldn't have to deal with those morons. It would still be a pain in the ass."

"Wait, wait, wait." Sharon waved a hand at him to stop his explanation. "Chief Taylor asked you to take over Robbery-Homicide?" Her brows rose into her hairline. Surprise had her eyes shining brighter, and her voice sounding slightly breathless when she asked, "What did you tell him?"

"I told him I had to think about it." Andy shrugged. "I wasn't going to tell him anything without talking to you first. Hell, we've still got the promotions freeze on. It's basically just a lateral transfer. I'm not getting a raise. So it's a whole new headache for the same old paycheck."

"Hm." She hummed thoughtfully. Sharon smiled at him. "That sounds familiar. Sort of like inheriting a Flynn and Provenza sized headache for the same old paycheck."

"See," Andy grinned. "I knew you'd understand. I mean, I know we said that we'd discuss any changes, but I'm going to turn him down. I like where I'm at. Besides, if I leave you alone with Provenza, one of you is going to end up shooting the other one."

"There is a lot of truth in that." Her lips pursed. "Are you sure? It's a good opportunity. You're right about the work, and the frustration. There'd be a lot of paperwork involved. It's mostly going to be administrative. Neither of which are things that you really care for, but you'd be in line for a nod once the promotions freeze is up."

"I think one Captain is enough for this family." Andy lifted his head and shrugged again. "It's alright, Sharon. I was happy just to make Lieutenant. I'm not a rope climber. I like being a cop too much for that, and you know…" He smirked at her. "Why should I have to put up with getting the leftovers and cast-offs from Major Crimes when I can get the good stuff right where I'm at? Plus, damn you're hot when you go struttin' through that murder room. I'm not giving _that_ up for anything."

"Ah. Yes." Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "So we come to it at last. The real reason you wouldn't dream of transferring, even to further your own career. How is it, exactly, that you can make even the most reasonable things crude in less than a second flat?"

"Just talented I guess." He lifted his head and propped it in his hand. Andy grinned crookedly at her. "So what, are you saying you want me to do it? Take the transfer and move over to Robbery-Homicide with the B-team?"

"Of course not." Sharon shook her head at him. "Not unless that's what you want. I can't make this decision for you, and I can't influence it. What you choose to do has to be just that, _your_ choice. I've enjoyed working with you a great deal, and I'd like to continue doing that, but only so long as you want it too. If you choose to stay, I'd be happy. If you choose to go, I'd still be happy."

He returned her gaze. His dark eyes studied her closely. She was smiling back at him. In her face he found only the quiet acceptance and steady support that he had come to expect. "They made allowances."

"Yes." Sharon nodded once. "That they normally wouldn't have made. My transfer was done quickly. If this relationship had started afterward, I can't say it would have been such a smooth ride. I'd have had to report it, and Chief Taylor would probably have tried to use it against me."

"He still could," Andy pointed out with a frown. "He's got leverage."

"He thinks that he does." Sharon arched a brow at him. He was thinking about it now, not just going with a knee-jerk reaction. He could be so impulsive, this husband of hers. She loved that about him; even when it frustrated her to no end, she loved how impetuous he could be. "We were already married when the offer was made. That provides a willingness on his part to ignore the conflict of interest. As long as we continue to behave ourselves…" When his brows rose, she sighed. "As long as _I_ continue to behave myself and you continue to not get caught…" Sharon smirked at the sparkle in his deep brown eyes. "Then I believe there is nothing that the Chief can do to use this relationship against us."

"Hm." He looked away, lost in thought. "Major crimes gets all the good cases. I'd have more time to spend around here. Take in a game or two…"

"Indeed." Sharon's lips pursed. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him. "When you aren't finishing the very large piles of paperwork that would be generated every time that I stole one of your cases." She smiled sweetly at him.

Andy snorted at her. "I thought you said you couldn't influence me? If this is you, not influencing something, Sharon, we gotta talk." He grinned at her. "Yeah, alright. I'm not going anywhere near that. Taylor can shove it."

She laughed quietly and shook her head at him. "I'm not influencing you at all. I just think you should have all the facts before you make your decision." She reached across and ran her hand down his arm. "Okay, for the moment, let's put aside the fact that we work together. Forget about it—"

"I can't do that." Andy shrugged at her. "My head doesn't work like that. The truth is, I kind of like it. More than kind of, actually. I mean, yeah, you're still on a learning curve." He ignored the way her eyes narrowed at that. "But weird as it is, it works. Who saw that one coming? Look, I'm good with how things are right now. That's what I'll tell Taylor."

His mind was made up. Sharon smiled brightly. "Good." She lay her head on the pillow and reached out to smooth Joey's hair back from his forehead. His skin was still flushed, but it felt as though his temperature was continuing to come down. "I'm rather good with the way things are too.

"Yeah." Andy lay back down as well. "Now if I could just get you to lift that no making out at work rule, that would be great. That would be pretty damned perfect, actually."

"Hm." She hummed thoughtfully. "Let me think about it. No." Sharon let her eyes close. A smile still curved her lips upward. "All previous rules still apply. Even if you transfer. Don't even think about it."

"Well I'm definitely not doing it _now_." He grunted. "That would have been the best part. Good to know in advance. Geez, Sharon."

"Sorry honey, but you'll survive." She cracked one eye open and looked at him. "You are, as always, welcome to try and change my mind."

The playful pursing of her lips had him smirking. "Oh, I'll take you up on that." He settled down and closed his own eyes. "We'll talk."

"Yes, I'm sure we will," she drawled.

Rusty woke sometime later to someone shaking his arm. He blinked his eyes open and squinted against the ache in them from too little sleep. They felt dry, gritty, like sand had been poured into them. Light was spilling into his room from the hallway, and a quick glance at the window showed it was barely light out. He sat up slowly and swept his hair back from his face with one hand. "Yeah?"

He was always disoriented first thing in the morning. A bit like a little boy, really. Sharon always reflected that it was when Rusty was the most innocent, the most like a child. In those first seconds after waking none of the walls and barriers he put up were present. He was all innocent and new, as though the world hadn't touched him yet, hadn't been so cruel. He didn't like being touched, and typically they respected the distance he put up between them. He would freeze at even the most innocent gesture, a hand on his shoulder, a squeeze of his arm in support. She had hugged him only once, that moment was, in a word, awkward. He was stiff against her, unsure and a bit afraid. He started to relax in only the seconds before she pulled away to send him along with his father. When he'd looked at her, so uncertain and just a little adrift, she realized that not many people had ever held this child in a way that was meant to be innocent or comforting. It made her heart ache for him all the more.

Sharon touched his arm now. Just a brief caress, enough to ground him in his sudden waking. "Rusty," she spoke quietly, softly. "We're leaving. We'll try to be back before it's time to take you to school, but if we're not, I've left money for a cab by the phone in the kitchen. Okay?"

He grunted a bit and rubbed a hand over his face. Rusty looked up at her and his mind cleared more quickly at her words. When his eyes opened again he realized that she was not dressed for work. She was wearing jeans and a sweater. "What time is it? Are you going to the hospital?"

"Five-thirty." She withdrew her hand and reached over to make sure that he had remembered to set the alarm beside his bed. "We aren't going to the hospital. The Care Clinic opens at six, and his fever is high enough that I don't want to wait for his pediatrician's office to open at nine. Rusty, did you hear the first part, we'll try to be—"

"Back," He nodded and yawned. "Yeah, I heard it. If you aren't, I'll get a cab to school. It'll be fine." Rusty lay back down. "I'm not a little kid, you know. I can get to school Sharon, and you know, taking the bus would be cheaper than a cab."

"Yes I know." She smiled down at him. "I want you to get there _on time_. Go back to sleep. We'll see you in a while."

Rusty made a noncommittal grunt. His eyes were already closed. He forced them open though, when he heard her reach the door. "Hey, Sharon…" He sat up a bit. "If I go to school before you get back, will you call me?"

She turned back and had to shake the surprise from her expression. "Of course. Rusty, it's just a cold," she said gently. "And unfortunately, I'm sure it will work its way through all of us before it's gone."

"Oh great." He lay back down again. Rusty pulled the blanket over his head. "Come live with us Rusty. Share our house. Share our stuff. Share our germs. Thanks a lot, Sharon."

Learning the facets of Rusty's sarcasm was a process that had taken them a few weeks. It was like learning the differing sounds of a baby's cry. When he was hungry, when he was sick, when did he just need to be held. With Rusty, it was like trying to decipher when he was truly upset, when he was covering his sadness, his worry, or just teasing them. Right now, it was a little bit of the last two. He was worried, but she could hear the teasing note in his tone. Sharon smiled as she pulled the door closed, but not before replying in kind. "You're welcome, Rusty."

Not a lot of people really went to the clinic that early in the morning. For that reason, Sharon and Andy were only gone for two hours. It was long enough to see one of the doctors at the clinic and then to wait to have Joey's prescriptions filled. In the end it was the pharmacy that took the longest.

Rusty was at the table, shoving cereal into his mouth with one hand, while he used the other to wrap up the last of his algebra homework. He looked up as Andy walked into the kitchen, looking tired and headed straight for the coffee maker.

"Hey. So…" Rusty tapped his pencil against his notebook. "What did the doctor say?"

"Just a cold. Ear infection." Andy shrugged as he made coffee and took down two mugs. "Pretty normal for this time of year. Like we said, nothing to worry about." He leaned his hip against the counter and waited for the coffee carafe to fill. He glanced over and arched a brow at the kid. "Hey, weren't you supposed to finish all that last night?"

"I did." Rusty shrugged. "I forgot that I didn't finish the algebra the other day. Buzz wrote down a couple of hints. I was supposed to finish it up. I finished it now." He closed the notebook and put it back into his bag. Then he turned his attention back to finishing his cereal.

"Yeah well…" Andy shrugged. "Watch it with that. You know how Sharon feels about you finishing the homework _before_ you get all wrapped up in the television or that computer." If the kid forgot, then he forgot. At least it was done now. He was usually pretty good with the homework. Andy saw no reason to make a case out of it. "I'm taking you to school this morning on my way in to the office, Sharon is staying here with Joey. Why don't you finish your breakfast, gather your stuff. I'm going to go jump into the shower and get dressed."

"Sure." Rusty watched him fill two cups with coffee and head out of the room. "Hey, Andy…" He called out to him before he could get completely out of the room. "So like… colds and stuff, that's not like, a bad thing, right? You know…" He shifted uncomfortably. "When they're that young."

Andy frowned at the question. It took him a minute to get at what Rusty was saying. He shook his head, while a small grin settled on his face. "No, it's not a bad thing. It's not a _good_ thing either. It's sure as hell not pleasant. Kids get sick, Rusty. It's okay. I mean, we were really careful with Joey the first six months, because he was a premie, but now he's just a kid. He's going to get colds and viruses, and drive his mother and me nuts with them. He'll share them with you, and then you'll drive us crazy with them. It's just how it goes."

"Okay." Rusty nodded slowly. So it _was_ normal then. He turned his attention back to his cereal, effectively closing off the conversation. He didn't want them to think he was some kind of freak who worried about things like that. So maybe life was pretty normal these days. Well, as normal as life got for a street rat whose foster parents were homicide detectives keeping an eye on him so that he could testify in the trial of a serial killer.

Normal was just a relative term anyway.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

He was getting too damned old to be spending half the night awake with a sick kid, then all day at work. Andy wanted nothing more than to fall into his bed when he got home that evening. His recliner looked even better. He shrugged out of his jacket, put his gun and badge on the top shelf of bookcase and loosened his tie before he dropped into it with a sigh. His body was tired and aching, and reminding him that he wasn't exactly a young guy anymore. Far from it.

Andy groaned as he pushed back in the recliner and brought the foot rest up. Then he sighed again and let himself relax. Yeah, that was the life. The old worn leather was comfortable and not too cool to the touch. He shifted only slightly and it gave way, enveloping his familiar form while he felt the tension already sliding away.

A soft laugh drew his attention from the corner. Andy cracked open a single eye and watched his wife stroll into the room, baby on her hip. "Don't start with me. You got to take a nap. I had to go deal with Provenza… and Taylor." His shoulders knotted with tension again as he mentioned the last one.

"I'm not starting anything." She stopped beside his chair and leaned a hip against the arm rest. Sharon passed a hand over his hair. "You look tired. You should go to bed." She had napped, and then she had spent the rest of the day taking care of a sick child and getting caught up on a few household chores.

"Too many stairs." Andy grunted. "I'm staying right here." When he toed off his shoes and just let them fall, she laughed again. He bent an arm and shoved it behind his head. Then he forced his eyes open again to look at her. His gaze swept over Joey, who was still looking clingy but not exactly whining or crying as he had been that morning. "How's he doing?" He'd called to check on him a couple of times during the day, but it didn't stop him asking again.

"Better." She glanced down at the boy in her arms. "Fever is down almost completely, and the antibiotics seem to be helping already. He slept quite a while this afternoon, and I think that helped more than anything."

"Good." Andy studied them for a moment. Then he reached out and curled an arm around her waist and drew her down into the chair with him. It was a familiar position for them, and he grinned when Joey crawled over to lay on his other shoulder, content just to be for the time being. When his wife settled against his side, he let his hand slide into her hair. "Taylor already call you? Or did the snake actually have the decency to wait?"

Sharon drew a thin breath and let it out slowly. "He emailed." She tucked her head into the crook of his neck and snuggled closer. "I'm beginning to think that I could despise that man."

"You're not alone." Andy pressed his lips against the tip of her head. "It wasn't an offer. The transfer, it was a suggestion. When I turned it down…"

"He didn't let you." Sharon had guessed that much. Of course, Taylor's email had been worded as more of an informative memo that a decision had been reached. "I'm sorry," she murmured quietly.

"Not your fault." His fingers rubbed her scalp. "I should've seen this coming. I knew he was up to something. Had to know it was covering his own ass." Andy sighed again. He'd gone in that morning to tell the Chief no, but thank you to the offer of the transfer to Robbery Homicide. What he hadn't expected was to be told, in no uncertain terms, that it was happening anyway. "He said that Professional Standards wasn't comfortable with us working together. They're worried about the fallout of domestic disputes and issues following us to work. What happens if I can't lodge a complaint against my Captain for riding my ass too much if she just happens to be my wife too? That kind of thing. Can you discipline me right if you're worried that I'm going to be an ass to you at home? Idiots."

"The truly sad thing is," Sharon said gently, "They're all very valid concerns. Not things that I would expect from us, but in the general sense. I know you hate it when I say this, but the rules are there for a reason. To protect both of us, as well as the team." That didn't mean that she liked the idea. Sharon shook her head. "I just hate to see you go…" She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "They're going to hate me again."

"No." Andy had already taken care of that. "It's not your fault. They know that. I already told Provenza. We talked to the team about it. Okay, so we probably could have waited for you, but I was still pissed from seeing Taylor. Turns out Mike figured this would end up happening eventually. He was more surprised they let it go on as long as it did. Julio and Buzz are already taking bets on how many cases you guys can steal from me before I blow my top, and Provenza…" Andy shrugged. "Well, he's decided that Taylor is the devil and he's slowly plotting revenge that might or might not actually see the light of day, but it's Provenza so who the hell knows. He's more worried about who you'll get to replace me. I promised him that I would talk to you about that. Whatever you do, it can't be Elliot. You've already got the hero worship thing covered with Sykes."

Sharon giggled quietly. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Honestly, I haven't given it much thought yet. I'm more concerned with the fact that we're losing you than I am with who is going to replace you. I know you didn't want this. Simply understanding it doesn't mean that I like it. I hope you know that."

"I know." They had both liked working together. "Here's the thing that I didn't think about before. Amy pointed this one out, so you can thank her. We haven't both been able to take any time off together, because doing that leaves the team too shorthanded. We didn't even go away for our anniversary because of that. Different divisions now means dual vacation time. At least, when I move over there. That's still not happening until the first of the year."

"It's only a couple of months away," Sharon pointed out with a sad smile. "Ideally, you should make the move in December, just to familiarize yourself with that team and the cases they're working on now. I'm sure Captain Ellis would appreciate having an actual transition period for his people."

"Yeah," He sighed. "I guess you're right about that. Hell, I'm just not looking forward to going back there. Yeah, okay, so I left Robbery Homicide to get away from Taylor, that's true. I just didn't expect I'd like it in Major Crimes as much as I did."

"I know." She turned her face into his neck. Her lips were gentle against his skin. "If I could go back to FID, I would." She liked the work that she was doing now. It was far more enjoyable, even for all of its darkness. Still, she would give that up for him if she could.

"Nah." Andy had known she would say that. His hand slid down her back. "They need you. The reason for you is still there. They need a boss, and it's got to be someone who can work the system. You know the rules, and you know how to get around them in a way that isn't exactly a bad thing or a liability. I appreciate it, sweetheart, but in a choice between you and me, I'm the one they can spare."

"Don't say that." She lifted her head. "Andy, you are not indispensable. This team is going to struggle without you." When he only grinned up at her, she rolled her eyes at him. "What?"

"What happened to… it's a great opportunity, and aren't you sure you want it?" His dark eyes sparkled.

"That was when you still had a choice in it," Sharon pointed out. "It was an objective opinion to help form a cohesive decision." She sighed. "It _is_ a good opportunity, and I think you'll do very well. As your boss I wish you nothing but the best, but as your wife, I'm more concerned with how you're going to feel about it. It isn't what you wanted, and I can see that it's outside your comfort zone. I know that you can do it. I'm just going to miss you," she added quietly, "that's all."

He was going to miss her too. All of it, really. But he was moving down two floors. It wasn't like he was moving two states away. He'd still see her in the evenings, and probably at lunch too occasionally. Andy pulled her back down beside him. His hand moved into her hair again. "So then, like I said, dual vacation time…"

She chuckled quietly. "We can't go anywhere until Rusty is out of school for winter break." She reached across him and lay a hand against Joey's back when their son began to squirm. She rubbed in slow circles, hoping to settle him down again. "What were you thinking that we should do?"

"Well, I don't see why we can't head out to Park City for Christmas," He said. "This is what you do… right before we get ready to leave, make sure you don't steal any cases from RH, in fact, if you want to bunt a couple that way, I say go for it. As long as my vacation request is in before I transfer, there's nothing that Ellis can do to rope me into helping out."

"Oh my god." She groaned quietly. "I call in with a sick child and this is the kind of plotting that you and Provenza do without me. The two of you really do need a sitter," she told him.

"Actually…" Andy smirked. "That one was all Julio's idea. It's pretty smart if you ask me. Just for the record, the vacation request is already filled out and on your desk."

She started laughing. "Okay. We'll see what happens. I'm not making any promises, but I will sign the request." Sharon paused for a moment. "If we don't get to make the trip to Utah for the holidays, someone really should be available to stay with the boys if I'm working. Daycare is closed at Christmas."

"Less amusing," he pointed out with a grin, "but necessary. You've got a deal." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Now, shh, I'm sleeping here."

"Yes, and I'd like to join you," Sharon started to sit up. "But I have two boys to feed."

"Give it a few." He pulled her back down. "Your boys aren't going to starve if you take a couple of minutes. See, even Joey is good with it." The boy had settled down again. "Rusty is more than capable of fixing himself a sandwich. Wherever he is." Andy arched a brow. "Where is the little sarcasm fountain?"

Sharon hummed quietly. She wondered if he even realized what he'd said, or if he was just too tired. He warned her not to get too attached, and yet, he was the one including Rusty in that statement. _Your boys_. "In his room. He has his nose stuck in a book for his English class. He didn't think he'd like it, but he's been hooked since he got home. I think he'll probably stay up all night reading it, if we let him."

"Yeah? Good for him." Andy closed his eyes again. "I'll say something to him before I turn in. He knows you're a pushover, but he listens to me."

She laughed until she snorted at that one. "_I_ am the pushover?" Sharon lifted her head and arched a brow at him. "Me? Who is it that let him out of being grounded after only two days, oh, and gave him back the laptop before I'd approved that decision. When he asked for a cell phone, who got him one? _I _am the pushover?"

"You didn't want to ground him to begin with," Andy pointed out, all without opening his eyes again. A smile still tugged at his lips. "He needed the laptop to write an essay, and if he was going to be staying after school for chess team and hanging out with friends, he needed a phone. Yes, _you_ are the pushover," he told her. "He gives you those big puppy eyes and you melt, every single time. You do it with all the kids. Oh, you're tough when you have to be, but they've all got your number. Even Joey is starting to figure you out." He looked down at his son, who upon hearing this name, had lifted his head. His eyes had turned brown, like Ricky's, but most people thought he got them from Andy. Just as with his brother, Andy knew those big brown eyes would be his mother's downfall.

She sniffed and wriggled closer. "I don't know what you're talking about." It was true. Emily could pout in a way that had her giving in after only seconds. With Ricky it was his big, sad eyes. Rusty… well, he just wanted to be loved so badly. There was Nicole, who was so uncertain about dating a man who already had children from his first marriage, and Charlie who was so much like his father that she couldn't help but adore him. Maybe she was the pushover, but she wasn't alone. Sharon smiled as she tucked her face against his neck again. She decided to let him have this one. She would just point it out the next time he was spoiling one of them.

He fell asleep in his chair and Sharon left him there. She took Joey back to the kitchen with her so that Andy would not be disturbed and started dinner.

Rusty pulled his nose out of his book when those smells began to fill the air inside the house. "Hey." He walked into the kitchen where Sharon stood at the stove. "You know, there's an old guy asleep in a chair back there," he hooked a thumb toward the living room. "He's really in love with that ugly chair, isn't he?"

She giggled quietly. "Oh, you have no idea." Sharon glanced at him, and smiled widely when Rusty walked over and immediately took down plates for setting the table. "It's not so bad, the chair. Grows on you after a while."

The teenager snorted. "Whatever is making you smile like that, do me a favor, _never_ tell me."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. When he smirked at her, she picked up a dishtowel and tossed it at him. "Funny guy," she said.

"Yeah." He took out silverware while he was at it. "I sing and dance too." Rusty just grinned. She wouldn't have been there for that conversation with him and Andy. When she just shot a confused look at him, Rusty laughed and walked out to set the table. He came back as Sharon was taking the chicken out of the oven. "So, do we wake him up or let him sleep?"

Her head inclined. "Let him sleep," she decided. "I'll make him a plate and put it aside." Even as she said it, she turned away to do just that, placing vegetables and rice on plate and covering it before placing it to the side for later.

Rusty walked over and leaned against a counter. Joey was playing in his highchair nearby. He watched her for a minute. Then he glanced at his shoes and fidgeted. "Sharon, what happens now? My mother is gone, my father is gone. What's next?"

She slanted a look at him. Rusty could not be rushed. He would discuss what was on his mind when he was ready. He had to work things out for himself. Or find a way to broach the subject in a way and at a time that he was comfortable with. "Well," she began carefully. "You stay here, with us."

"For how long?" He chewed on the corner of his lip. "I mean, until the trial, or…"

"Until then, yes." Sharon folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter to watch him. "Until you're eighteen. No one is asking you to leave, Rusty. Quite the opposite. This is your home for as long as you'd like it to be. Okay?"

He returned her gaze before finally letting his fall. "Yeah." Rusty expelled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding on to. "That's… okay." He nodded. "Until I'm eighteen, at least."

"Alright." She agreed to that. The idea of permanence was frightening to a boy like Rusty, who'd never experienced it before. They couldn't know what the future would hold, however, and while they might have their good intentions, Sharon would not allow them to be something else in Rusty's life that proved to be a disappointment. "When you turn eighteen we will reevaluate and see how things are going. Deal?"

"You and your deals." Rusty grinned. He felt more than a little relieved. At least, maybe, he would be able to finish high school. That would be something, and maybe if it happened, then he could think about that college idea that Sharon was constantly trying to plant inside his head. "Deal."

"Good." She turned back to the stove. "Now, can you finish setting the table, please?"

"Is it almost done?" Rusty picked up a bowl that contained a freshly tossed salad. "I'm starving."

Sharon chuckled quietly. "Neither of you boys are going to _starve_, Rusty, but yes, it's just about done."

"Cool." Rusty turned and walked backward. "Hey, can we do sundaes for dessert? Please?"

Sharon rolled her eyes at his wheedling. "I don't see why not." She shook her head. Yes, she was the pushover. Really, who could blame her? She scooped steamed vegetables into a bowl and as she left the kitchen with it, she heard the snoring in the kitchen. Sharon couldn't help but smile. _All_ of her boys had a hold of her heart. If she was honest about it, she was a bit of a pushover with all of them.

Such was life, and wasn't it wonderful…


	31. Chapter 31

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 30<strong>

The glass was cool. Rusty drew his hands away from it and settled them on the ledge beneath the window. Through the open blinds, he watched Andy lean forward in his seat. The form on the bed was small and unmoving. His jaw clenched while his throat ached. Tears that he didn't want to acknowledge stung at his eyes. Movement beside him had him looking over. The Lieutenant standing beside him had his hands tucked into his pockets. He was watching the interior of the room too. Rusty turned his gaze back and felt a tremor run through him.

"What do you think he'll do?"

The question was posed so quietly that Provenza almost didn't hear it. He glanced at the boy beside him and shrugged. "I don't know, Rusty." Tension had his shoulders and back in knots. His stomach twisted at the question. He would like to be able to answer that, but he really couldn't say. Not this time. As well as he knew his partner, this was one of those times when he couldn't fathom what was going on inside his head. He wasn't sure that he _wanted_ to know. It was a bad situation all the way around.

The doctors didn't believe that the Captain was going to get any better. She had been lingering on in this state for several hours now. The damage from the gunshot wound, the surgery, and the subsequent incidents of cardiac arrest had weakened her heart. They had almost lost her again while she was in recovery. The doctors were asking Flynn to make a decision. If she began to code again, were they to try and save her? Or let her go? Were they only prolonging her pain?

She was in ICU now, but they weren't letting anyone in to see her at the moment. Flynn was sitting with his wife while he considered everything that the doctors had thrown at him. It was a hard place to be in, stuck between fighting for his wife or letting her go. Prolong her pain, or let it end?

Provenza sighed and looked again at the boy beside him. "Rusty, you're not supposed to be back here." When he disappeared from the waiting room it wasn't hard to figure out where he'd gone. Provenza had followed. He didn't think that Emily and Ricky were ready to see their mother yet, not like this. Rusty wasn't ready for it either, but the boy was made of strong stuff. He'd come a long way in the last couple of years.

"I know." Rusty shook his head. "I was tired of waiting. It just… it doesn't seem real, you know? She's always there, but now she's not. I had to see it. I needed it to be real." He was wishing now that he hadn't. That it could just be this… horrible idea hovering somewhere in the distance. Now he wouldn't be able to get the image out of his head.

Tubes and wires. There was a ventilator. She was small. Rusty never saw her looking so small before. Pale, vulnerable even. She was supposed to be stronger than all of them. Everything that happened, all that they'd faced, it wasn't supposed to end this way. So yeah, happily ever after was for fairytales and movies. It wasn't real life, and he knew that. Rusty knew that all too well. That didn't mean that life couldn't be _good_, that it couldn't be normal and right.

There was nothing normal or right about this. There was nothing _good_ about a man losing his wife, or the kids losing their mom. What was so wrong with letting people be happy for once? Why did life have to keep throwing these curve balls at them.

"She's going to die," Rusty said quietly. "Isn't she?"

Odd, that this boy seemed able to face it so much easier than the rest of them. Maybe he was just used to losing all of the people in his life that meant something to him. Provenza shook his head, even as he felt his throat close up. "We don't know that," he said gruffly. They didn't, they couldn't know what was going to happen.

"Don't we?" Rusty looked at him. "I mean, isn't that why the doctors want Andy to sign that paper? Because they don't think she's going to get any better. They don't think there's any reason to keep saving her. They just want to let her go. That has to mean that she's not going to get any better!"

His fists were clenched, while his chest heaved with each quickly gasped breath. Provenza watched Rusty come apart and realized that maybe he wasn't dealing so well with it after all. He was just more of a realist than the others, his siblings. The old man shook studied the boy. There was sadness in his gaze. "That's not what it means, Rusty. Not really." He sighed. "They have to give the family all of the options. They haven't said that she's not going to get any better. They didn't ask Flynn to take her off life support, they just want to know if they should keep…" His jaw clenched and he shook his head. "Bringing her back," he said thickly, not really wanting to think about it either.

"So if she wants to go, just let her go, is that it?" Rusty looked down, stared at his shoes. He swallowed against the painful lump in his throat.

"You don't really think that she _wants_ to go," he asked quietly, "do you?" Provenza stared at the boy until he looked up. "Sometimes the weakness of our bodies is more than our wants can defeat. You know she's not going to stop fighting, Rusty." He turned toward the window again, felt his shoulders slump more beneath the strain and the worry. "There just comes a time when we have to let someone else fight for us, even if that means letting us go."

Rusty followed his gaze. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "What do you think he'll do?" He asked again.

"Figure out a way to do what's best for her," Provenza said. "Instead of what's best for the rest of us. It's not an easy decision to make. He's thinking about you all, and what she'd want, and what she would do. That doesn't mean it's the same as what is right for her."

"What would you do?" Rusty looked at him again, desperate for some idea of what they were facing. What was the right choice. How did they move forward.

That was the question, wasn't it? What would any of them do in this situation. It was hard to say, no one could really answer that until they were faced with it, and even then it might not turn out the way that they thought. Provenza shook his head again. "I don't know, Rusty." He looked at the boy, shrugged. "I think I'd let her go."

"Yeah." Rusty exhaled a long, shuddering breath. He lifted a hand and pressed it against the cool glass. "I think so too. I think…" His throat closed up and he shook his head. "I think we should get the others ready."

Younger than his four siblings, but probably a lot stronger. He'd had to be. How sad was it to think that life had prepared him for a moment such as this. He was only nineteen. He should be thinking about his college classes and study groups, what he was going to major in, and be when he grew up. Provenza nodded slowly. "Yes, you're probably right. But… let's just wait another minute or two. Let's see what happens first."

The hiss of the ventilator was constant. It was joined by the beeping of the heart monitor. Andy sat forward in his chair. Her hand was cold in his. It was small and delicate, and entirely too pale for his liking. Nothing about this situation was to his liking. He held her hand in his and reached up with the other to sweep her hair back. It was limp, lacking it's usual vibrant luster. The color seemed dull, and it was probably the fluorescent lighting overhead, but it added to the overall sense that nothing in this image was at all like his wife.

He had been thinking about what he should do. Instead all he could wonder was how he could go on without her. How did he look at his kids, or her kids, or _their_ kids if he let her go? How was he supposed to stand up and walk out of this room without her? He couldn't imagine it, living without her. Andy couldn't envision his world without Sharon in it.

That was exactly what he needed to do. He needed to think about what he was going to do, and how he was going to go on once she was gone. Andy drew a thin breath, his chest ached and burned. He moved from the chair to sit carefully on the edge of her bed. He was mindful of all of the tubes and wires and the vent that kept her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath.

His fingers stroked the pale curve of her cheek. His thumb traced the line of her jaw. There was no flutter of movement, no sign of acknowledgement. Her eyes remained closed and her body unmoving. His fingers closed more tightly around hers as he leaned forward. His other hand cupped her forehead, while his thumb stroked her temple. His lips were gentle against her cheek, and again when they brushed against her ear.

"They're hurting," he said quietly. "They'll be okay. Your mom and dad got here a little while ago. They're keeping an eye on things. You don't have to worry about the kids. I'll keep an eye on them." His jaw clenched. There was a throbbing in his throat. It was hard to speak, his voice rasped roughly. "It's okay, Sharon. Hang on because you can. Don't do it for us." His nose nuzzled her cheek. He could almost smell her perfume, but it was overshadowed by the sterile, antiseptic smell of the hospital. "You can go," he whispered. "We'll be okay if you let go." He turned his face into her hair and drew a shuddering breath. He shuddered, pain and loss and grief filling him. "I'm going to love you," he told her, "no matter what, the rest of my life… but you can go."

Andy felt what he thought were her fingers twitching against his palm. He pressed his lips against the side of her head. His eyes remained closed. "I know," he said. His fingers combed through her hair. He lifted his head and watched her. She was still silent and unmoving. Andy reached for the clipboard on the table beside her bed. His hands shook as he applied pen to the paper and quickly scrawled his signature before he could change his mind. "I know what you want me to do," He said, not without a little regret. "You were right. We needed to talk about it, we needed to know…" She always had to be so damned responsible. They had drawn up their wills and talked about what to do if the other was injured, or worse, if one of them was lost. Andy wished he could say that knowing what she expected of him made this easier, but it didn't. Even as much as he wanted to tell her to fight, he couldn't do that either. He couldn't watch her linger on, in pain, hardly there at all. She was slipping away from him and it was better that he let her go, than to hold on too tightly. He'd promised himself long ago that he wouldn't be the cause of any more pain for her.

He looked up at the sound of the door opening. Andy sighed quietly. "Rusty…" He shook his head. The kid wasn't going to wait. He didn't know how to wait. Andy couldn't really blame him. "It's okay, come on." He nodded to the chair beside the bed.

Rusty shuffled over and slowly lowered himself into it. "What's going to happen now?"

"We wait." Andy shrugged. "That's all we've got. We just wait. It'll end, or it won't."

His eyes lifted from the bed to look at the man seated beside her. The paper had been signed. Rusty wanted to be angry about that. Wanted to know how he could just give up. He wasn't really giving up, it was just another kind of acceptance. Rusty pushed down on the anger and swallowed hard. "She said she wouldn't leave me."

So small, a bit like a little boy, were those quietly spoken words. There were times when he could be just as innocent, just as vulnerable as Joey. Andy stared back at him. His voice rumbled quietly. "I know. She's not going anywhere right now. There's still a chance." He thought that maybe he should get the kids ready to say goodbye, but maybe they'd wait a little while first. See what happened. Maybe there was still an ounce of stubborn left in her. "Sharon is the most stubborn woman I know, Rusty. She's going to fight until she can't anymore, and then she'll just keep fighting anyway. It's what she does."

Rusty nodded slowly. Yeah, that was Sharon. She didn't give up easy. So maybe it should tell them something if she was giving up this time. Or was she really giving up? Could it be like Lieutenant Provenza said, it didn't matter how hard she was fighting this time, maybe something else was stronger. Rusty rubbed his palms against his jean clad thighs. "Should someone… Do you think… Maybe someone should go and get Joey?"

"No." Andy shook his head slowly. "He wouldn't understand. He's too young. I want him to remember her the way she was when she dropped him off at daycare." Smiling and happy, healthy and whole.

"Will he even remember her?" Rusty tried to think of all the things that he could remember when he was that young, and he couldn't really come up with anything. Joey was only three. In another couple of years, Rusty wondered if Joey would even know who his mother was.

His jaw clamped tightly shut. That was a question, wasn't it? Andy looked away from him, back at his wife. "I'm not going to let him forget," he rumbled quietly. "_If_ it comes to that." Andy curled his fingers around hers again. He didn't want to talk about her like she was already gone.

Rusty seemed to be thinking the same thing. His head inclined. "Do you think she can hear us?"

"Yeah." Andy glanced at him. "She's probably mad as hell that people are seeing her like this. She's always got to be the strong one."

"Always has to have the last word." Rusty leaned forward, rested his elbows against his legs. "Doesn't matter what it is. Creepy Emma, crazy letter writers, stubborn Lieutenants from Robbery-Homicide…" He smirked up at the man in front of him.

Andy snorted quietly. His thumb swept over the top of his wife's hand. "Kid, believe me when I tell you… you've got _no_ idea…"


	32. Chapter 32

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 31 - The story continues...<strong>

Flood lights were already raised by the time they arrived. The back yard was illuminated by the bright light. Patrol officers stood out front, while SID moved back and forth, carrying paper bags of evidence. The house was currently being searched, but a storage shed stood open in the backyard, and that was the current focus of the officers present.

"Here they come."

The muttered comment came from in front of him. Andy glanced over at the sergeant who was kneeling on the other side of the body between them. The coroner's attendant had examined it inside the shed, collected all the evidence that was needed. Then it was pulled out into the light, where it could be viewed and photographed more clearly. This would be a second set of photographs, unofficial and only for the officers as they conducted their investigation. The first set had come from inside, those would go into the case file.

He grunted quietly. He stayed he was, kneeling beside the body and making his notes. He glanced up only when the voices got close enough that he could make out the words. They were already planning their own investigation. Andy rested one arm against a bent knee and pointed his pen at them. "You know, I think we've got it covered. What's the matter, bored?"

"Hm." Sharon walked around the body and knelt on its other side. When the sergeant moved out of her way, practically fleeing, she fought the urge to smirk. "Tell me something, Lieutenant, what is the procedure when one investigation quickly turns into another? Did you really think it was wise for Robbery Homicide to move forward with this investigation without consultation?"

"You know…" Andy snapped his fingers. "I knew I was forgetting something, Captain. I was more concerned with trying to figure out who put a body in a shed, another one in a basement, and a third in an old service elevator than I was with ruffling your feathers." He tilted his head, smirked at her. "As luck would have it, the warrant I already had covered full search of the premises. No where on that warrant does it say _Major Crimes_."

"Indeed." Her lips curved into a serene little smile. "That is very true, although I would be remiss in not pointing out to you, that your warrant doesn't indicate a search and seizure of evidence in a murder investigation either. I thought you were here investigating a Robbery, Lieutenant. That is what you do, isn't it?"

Her eyes were sparkling just a little too merrily. Andy's narrowed. "Yeah, actually it is. When I'm not mopping up all the homicides that you people think are beneath you." He tapped his pen against his notebook. "So tell me, what exactly makes _this_ a Major Crime, Captain?"

"Robbery Homicide was conducting a search following a break-in in a series of similar high profile properties that are currently being targeted for burglaries," Lieutenant Tao explained. "Three bodies found on site changed the focus of the investigation. Since the property is owned by a Congressman…" He paused to check his notes, "Nichols, Chief Taylor decided that this case should be handled by Major Crimes."

Sharon waved a hand at Tao and smiled sweetly at Andy. "There you have it. Three bodies, in a politician's home. You didn't think Robbery Homicide would retain the case, did you?" She clucked her tongue at him. "How quickly they forget."

"Oh for the love of…" Provenza rolled his eyes. "If we're finished with the foreplay part of the evening, do you think we could get on with the actual investigation?" He glared down at the two of them. They were enjoying all this sparring entirely too much, if you asked him. Ever since Flynn had transferred over to Robbery Homicide some months ago, they had made a game out of these little confrontations.

It was inevitable that Major Crimes would sweep in and pick up the more interesting of their cases. It was just the way it worked. It was the way that it had always worked. The two of them were treating it like… like… Provenza didn't want to think about _what_ they were treating it like.

Andy rolled his eyes. He shook his head and slowly stood. "Here's the problem with that." He ignored Provenza and focused on Sharon. "I've still got a string of high profile robberies to solve. So if I just hand over this case, and my crime scene, and all of my evidence, then you people are going to completely screw up what my team has been working on for the last month. So, the way I see it, you people are going to have to learn how to share."

Sharon's lips pursed as she straightened and stood. "I see, Lieutenant." She clasped her hands in front of her while her head tilted in thought. "That is a rather valid point, however… if you do not turn over your crime scene and your evidence, then you are essentially impeding a homicide investigation. That's not a charge that you really want to deal with is it? And, honestly, a month? If you're not close to solving your robberies by now, then I can't imagine one little crime scene is going to make much of a difference." Sharon sighed and waved a hand at him. Let it not be said that she could not be magnanimous. "Be that as it may, we will of course _try_ to preserve as much of the evidence as we can as it pertains to the robbery. Lieutenant Provenza," she turned where she stood. "Get with Lieutenant Flynn and have him bring you up to speed. Buzz, I want you to get the film from their techs. All of it," she added, before Andy could protest. "Lieutenant Tao, take Amy and start inside. Detective Sanchez, you're with me."

His gaze followed her until she stepped into the shed, well out of his view. When Julio walked past him wearing a wide grin, Andy rolled his eyes again. He turned back to Provenza. "You know, it was more fun when I was doing the case stealing."

"Like you're not having fun right now," Provenza snorted. "I don't want to hear about it. You're enjoying every minute of it and you know it. Don't think I don't know she's trolling your cases just looking for one to snatch, either. You two are sick, sick people," he decided.

"Hey, what are we going to do?" Andy shrugged. "Whine about it? Not like we had a choice. Although, if you want to know the truth…" He tapped his pen against his notebook again. "I'm having a lot more fun now than I was before. I mean, the cases suck, and the paperwork is boring as hell, but it's almost like having an actual, normal, marriage. Who knew!"

Provenza rolled his eyes. "Make no mistake, there is nothing _normal_ about either of you or your relationship. You're deluding yourself, friend. You know, they have doctors for that kind of thing. Maybe you should see one."

"I'm serious!" Andy laughed. "It's kind of nice going home at night and asking the wife about her day without already knowing the answer. You know what's even better…" A slow, wicked smirk curved his lips. "Taking her on vacation and leaving you in charge."

"She has infected you," Provenza decided. "You are evil and you must be destroyed." He sniffed. "It's not fun, it's not amusing, and I protest!"

"Go ahead, the papers are approved old man." Andy rocked back on his heels. DCFS had not released Rusty to travel out of state. They'd stayed at home for Christmas, and Sharon's children had come to them instead. They still had a good time, and in hindsight it was better for Rusty to meet the other kids in an environment that he was more comfortable in. It was a good holiday. Everyone was happy. Emily and Ricky were curious about Rusty, but for the most part accepting. He had already met Nicole, and Charlie hadn't seemed to mind him either.

At the end of it, though, Andy still hadn't taken his wife away from the city for an actual vacation. That was something that they needed to do. Just the two of them. They hadn't had anytime together, just them, since Joey was born. It was time. He was old enough now, two years old and growing like a weed, healthy and happy and perfectly comfortable with his big sister. Nicole was going to house sit and keep an eye on both the boys, Rusty and Joey, while they were away. They were headed up the coast, just the two of them and an extended weekend of no kids, no cases, and no surly Lieutenants.

Provenza glared at him. "I hate you."

"Yeah." Andy smirked at him again. "I know." His head tilted. "So, tell you what, let's get this over with and then I can go home and kick back in my recliner." Andy looked at his watch. "If we make it quick, I'll be able to catch the last two innings of the Dodgers game."

"I am going to call you Darth Flynn," Provenza decided. He took out his own notebook and clicked on his pen. "Alright, how the hell did you find the body and where?"

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Rusty looked up when Andy came into the living room. "Hey." He closed his laptop and took his feet down off the coffee table. "Stole another one, did she?"

"Oh yeah." Andy shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it over the back of the couch. His gun and badge went on top of the book case. Then he walked over and dropped into his recliner. "From the minute we found the bodies, it was already their case. No way were we going to keep that one. Three bodies in a congressman's house?" Andy smirked. "Major Crimes is welcome to it. Just don't tell _them_ that I said that."

"Your secret is safe with me." Rusty grinned. "That was hours ago. I thought you'd be back before now? What happened?"

Andy groaned. "I had to wait for her highness to decide which evidence they were keeping, and which stuff we could take with us for our case. They still might come back and get the rest of it, but for now…" He shrugged. "We had to take our stuff back and write up the reports on the actual robbery. Then I had to file a report on turning over the crime scene. God I hate those…" He'd never realized what kind of paperwork was involved when a case changed hands between one division to another. Every time Sharon took one of his cases, he got stuck filing some stupid report about it. "I'm going to file a complaint about that," Andy said. "It's not right, she wants the case, she should do the report." He gave a firm nod.

"Good luck with that." Rusty laughed. "I want to be there when you tell her that." He leaned back again and opened his computer.

"Yeah?" Andy smirked. "Give it about five minutes. Sharon was right behind me."

On cue, the door opened and she walked into the house. Sharon toed out of her heels and shrugged out of her jacket. She lay it over the bannister, her heels she placed in the corner beside the stairs. "Hey." Sharon walked into the living room. "I think it might actually be possible for Lieutenant Provenza to get grumpier with every passing case. That, or you have a singular ability to rile him that is unparalleled." She arched a brow at her husband. "What did you do?"

"What?" He held his hands up and grinned. "Nothing. I swear!" Andy's eyes sparkled. "I mean, we had a couple of minutes to catch up. We haven't really talked a lot lately. I told him we were driving up to Westport in a couple of weeks, just the two of us. I think he might have been a little excited for us."

Sharon groaned loudly. "Oh, I'm sure that was it exactly." She shook her head at him. "Well, that explains his wonderful mood." She walked over and sat on the couch. Sharon pulled her legs beneath her and drew a pillow into her lap.

Rusty cleared his throat and gave Flynn a pointed look. "Was there something you wanted to ask her about?"

His eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I'm getting to it." Andy cast a look at his wife. "So, about all this damned paperwork you keep forcing me to do… Why the hell is it that when _you _steal my case, I have to write it up? I think that _you_ should have to write it up, and I'm going to send that up to Professional Standards. I have better things to do than report on your greediness."

"Hm." Her lips pursed. "Is that a fact?" Sharon's head inclined while she thought about it. "I suppose that is a point… on the other hand, the report that you are writing is about chain of custody. You are releasing a crime scene, evidence, and any witness statements that might have been collected at the time that the case changed hands. How am I supposed to know what you've already done? Your report goes into the case file and then assists us with our continuing investigation."

"Then I guess there's just one thing to do about it." Andy sighed. "Stop stealing my damned cases."

Sharon laughed. "We'll see." She stood up and strolled toward the kitchen. "Rusty, did you eat?"

"Yeah." He was still laughing. "I had something with Joey. I was talking to Buzz about it," he told Andy. "He's decided that it's payback for all those times you put her into a reporting cycle over the years."

"Figures." Andy huffed. "She always said she'd get even." He pointed a finger at Rusty. "Let this be a lesson to you. She forgets _nothing_." He pushed out of his recliner and started toward the kitchen. "It's late, kid. You should get to bed."

"Yeah," Rusty stood up. "I'm going. No way do I want to be anywhere near you two right now." He made a face as he headed toward the stairs. "Old and gross," he called behind him.

"Pain in my backside," Andy called after him.

"It warms the heart to see the two of you getting along so well." Sharon smirked. She glanced over at him from where she stood, checking out the contents of the refrigerator. There were leftovers, but they were questionable. She didn't feel much like cooking this late, and she was sure that Andy didn't either. Her lips pursed and she exhaled through her nose. "Soup and sandwich?"

"Sounds good." He walked over to the pantry to pull down a package of soup while she took out cheese for the sandwiches. He dropped it onto the counter next to the stove. When his wife passed him, he curled an arm around her waist and drew her against him. He turned as he lifted her. He set her on the counter and let his hands slide up her sides. "Hey you."

"Hm." She hummed. Sharon dropped the items in her hand onto the counter beside her and let her arms move around his shoulders. "Hi." She hadn't seen him all day, the crime scene notwithstanding. That had been the hardest to get used to after his transfer, going all day, and sometimes longer than that, without seeing one another. If one of them was stuck in the middle of a case, they might not get home until well after the other had gone to bed, if they got home at all. It had meant working harder to make time for each other.

It meant making time to have lunch together at least twice a week, or sneaking off for coffee when their schedules permitted. It meant date night and getting a babysitter, and not taking for granted the time that they had, be that together or as a family.

"Missed you today," he said and let his lips brush hers. "Case stealing hussy."

His response was a low, throaty chuckle. "I missed you too… even if your reports are lacking in detail, cohesion, and acceptable data to aid my investigations." Sharon smiled against his mouth. "Right now I think we should forget about the fact that you are a sore loser," she teased, "and focus on far more interesting topics."

"We can do that." His arms slid around her. "We can also ignore the fact that you are arrogant and greedy with other people's cases."

She laughed again. She tipped her head back to smile at him. Her eyes were sparkling. She cupped the side of his face. "That sounds great." Sharon spoke quietly, while her thumb stroked the familiar planes of his face. "I had a call from the DA's office today. They've assigned someone to the Stroh case. A DDA Rios, she's going to be coming over to meet with Rusty soon. I'm just waiting for her to arrange a time."

"Rios?" Andy winced. "God, that's going to be fun." He made a face. "I'm telling, you Sharon, she's like a dog with a bone. Not nearly as good at it as Hobbs, but tenacious as hell. She's going to drive you batshit crazy. She's handled a couple of our robbery cases. That lady does not always know when to shut her mouth. Good luck." He shook his head. Andy was trying to imagine Rusty dealing with her and grimaced. He could just imagine the sarcasm she would end up provoking from the kid.

"Surely if she weren't up to the task she wouldn't be getting _this_ case," Sharon pointed out. "The city is very interested in seeing Phillip Stroh go to trial and ultimately Death Row. I can't believe that the DA's office would risk that on a prosecutor who isn't capable of handing all the delicate intricacies of the case. Can you?"

"No," he shrugged. "Probably not. I'm just saying, she's not like Hobbs. She's young and she's ambitious. Winning this case would be good for her career, so don't be surprised if she has no problem tossing Rusty under a bus to get there."

"You don't like her?" Sharon drew her bottom lip between her teeth. She looked away from him, worried now about Rusty's wellbeing. "He has come so far, Andy. Important or not, we cannot allow this trial to undermine all of his hard work."

"Robberies aren't like murders," He pointed out to her. "Who knows what she'll be like with that?" His hands rubbed her sides. "Just wait and see, Sharon. Let me know when a time gets set, I'll try to be there for it, okay?"

"I think that Rusty would appreciate that." She leaned into him and smiled again. "Enough about that. What else happened today?" Sharon was tired of thinking about work and cases, and trials that may or may not ever happen.

"Nicole called." Andy rolled his eyes. "Her mother is driving her crazy. I swear to god, Sharon, this wedding is going to be the end of all of us." His daughter had announced her engagement at Christmas. The guy that she was marrying, Mark, came from a decent family. He had two small boys from his first marriage, and an ex-wife that had died a year after they were divorced, leaving him with custody of their sons. Vicki wasn't crazy about the idea of their daughter marrying a guy that already had kids, but Andy didn't mind him. Mark was a great guy, and obviously crazy about Nicole. What else mattered?

"What happened?" Sharon stroked her hands up and down his arms. The wedding planning was proving to be very stressful for everyone, although that was to be expected. As they got closer to the date, she could imagine that it would only get more intense.

"The damned flowers." Andy sighed. "Vicki doesn't like the flowers that Nicole picked out, and now Nicole is all upset because she doesn't think she'll be able to make the switch before the wedding. Who the hell cares about the damned flowers anyway?" He shook his head. "It's not like she's marrying a florist, right? In any event, now Nicole is talking about wanting to elope, just to get it over with, and I swear to god, if she does that after the check I just wrote for the venue, I will shoot someone."

Sharon laughed, but quickly covered her mouth. "I'm sorry. It's not funny. It is, but it really isn't, I suppose. Oh god, Andy." She chuckled again, unable to stop herself. "Nicole isn't going to elope. She's put too much into this wedding and she's looking forward to it. You and Vicki are just both going to have to remind yourselves that this isn't about either of you, it's about her and Mark." She brushed a hand over his hair. "I understand that it's frustrating. It's going to be okay. You'll see."

"Yeah. Wish I could believe that," he snorted. "I'm not feeling it at the moment."

"You will." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders again. "And if she happens to cancel and elope after the check that _we_ just wrote for the venue, then I promise to load the gun for you."

"Thank you!" He threw his hands up before he wrapped his arms around her. "I knew that I could count on you. Finally, the perfect accomplice. One that can't testify against me."

"Oh…" She flashed a saucy smile at him. "If we get caught, you'd better believe I'm throwing you over pal. I will turn state's evidence so fast… I have kids to look after, you know. I can't let our boys be orphans."

"Figures." Andy sighed. "Oh well… only one thing left to do." He shrugged. Then he stooped and pulled her over his shoulder. His back ached like hell for it, but her laughter made it all worth it. "We're going to have to go and work on your alibi faking skills. No way am I going down alone, I'm totally taking you with me, sweetheart. But you're right, our boys can't be orphans so it's better to teach you how to cover our tracks better."

She laughed as he carried her through the house. There was no way he was making it up the stairs with her, but it would be interesting to see him try. "Let me get this straight, if you go, I go?"

"Don't you forget it either," he said.

"Oh," she drawled thickly, "I think I might be looking forward to that…"

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Housework. When Sharon was particularly worked up about something, she buried herself in housework. That was something that Andy learned in those first few weeks that he spent hanging around her, getting to know her during the days prior to Joey's birth and their coming together as a couple. He watched her now, angrily shaking out and folding towels. She was standing in the living room, a basket of laundry on the sofa while she plowed her way through it in a full fit of temper.

Andy was seated on the coffee table, hands clasped loosely and hanging between his knees. She had been in quite a state since she got home. Provenza had given him a heads up earlier. Turns out, the first meeting between DDA Rios and Rusty hadn't gone so well, and Andy had been in court and couldn't attend. He sent Provenza in his place, and now was glad that he had.

He sighed as he watched Sharon shake out another towel. It snapped, quite angrily, through the air before she began folding it with quick, jerky movements. Rusty was upstairs locked in his room, and Joey was in his play yard in a corner of the living room. He seemed unconcerned at everything that was happening around him. He would occasionally look up at his mother, curious at her mood, but happy to play. Andy envied him that.

"Whorefan." Sharon snarled. "She called him a whorefan, what is _wrong_ with that woman. I mean, really!" She slapped the towel onto a stack of already folded items and glared at them when they threatened to teeter over. "Oh and let's not forget Chief Taylor and his oh, so helpful advice."

She reached for another towel and Andy ran a hand over his face. Provenza never mentioned Taylor. The chief wasn't their favorite person, not by a long shot. "What did he do?"

"Absolutely nothing," Sharon slapped the towel against her thighs. "Except if we do not convince Rusty to cooperate, he's going to have him placed back in foster care."

Andy shot up off the coffee table. "He can't do that." His eyes went dark. A muscle in his jaw ticked. It was bad enough that he had split them up into different divisions, now the bastard was threatening one of their kids? "He doesn't have that kind of power. DCFS decides where Rusty goes, and he's good here. He's done better here than in any other home they've put him in. No way are they going to jeopardize that. Is Taylor a complete idiot? If he moves Rusty, the kid is gone. He is in the wind and there will be no getting him back."

"Or worse," Sharon tossed the towel back into the laundry basket and folded her arms across her chest. "Patrol picks Rusty up and he goes into Juvenile Detention until he turns eighteen. On top of that, now that DDA Rios has objected to Rusty's current placement, we can't even broach the topic of making that arrangement permanent without it looking as if we are interfering with a murder trial."

"Permanent?" Andy's head inclined. "Like adoption?" He squinted at her. "Is that something you're thinking about?" They hadn't discussed it. It had never even come up. Yeah, they liked having Rusty around, and this was his home now, but the idea of making him legally _and_ officially theirs had not been discussed. Until now, apparently.

Sharon sighed. She hadn't meant to bring it up in that way. She was just still so furious about how the meeting with Rios had gone. "It's an idea," she said. "There's still a part of Rusty that thinks we're only keeping him because of the trial. Granted, it's small, and he knows us better than that now, but… trust is so very fragile with Rusty. I want him to know that we are serious about this, and that it doesn't matter what small minded people like Chief Taylor or DDA Rios have to say about where he calls his home. He's just a boy, but to them he's the means to an end."

"Maybe." Andy drew her toward an arm chair. He sat down in it and pulled her into his lap. "Look at it from their point of view. Your objectivity is shot to hell where the kid is involved. Are you going to be able to make the choices that they need you to make where Rusty is concerned? Probably not, and I'm not saying that you should," he added, before she could respond, or her anger could be extended to him. "Rusty isn't here because he needed police protection, he's here because he needed a home. Are you ready to go head to head with them and see what happens? Because that's what it may boil down to."

"Someone has to do what's best for Rusty," she said. "He can't be treated like a prize for the prosecution. He's more than just their material witness. He's a child who is finally getting his life in order. He's doing well in school, he's made friends…" She trailed off and drew the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth. Sharon smiled at him. "And he has become a member of this family."

"Not disputing that." Andy smiled up at her. "The kid stays. I'm not sending him anywhere. You're right, they ruined the timing if what you're after is adoption. It's going to have to wait until we're back on solid ground again. Let's wait, see how things go. We can talk about it again in a couple of months, maybe see if Rusty is even open to the idea."

"Really?" Her brows lifted. Her arms moved around his neck. She smiled down at him. "You're not just saying that to appease my rotten mood?"

"Hell no." His hands moved up and down her back. "I wouldn't do that. The kid deserves better. Nah, ya know. He grows on you after a while. He's still a pain in my ass, but what the hell, right." She pinched his side and shot a pointed look at Joey. Andy sighed. "Yeah, I know, still working on it." There were some words that their son did not need to pick up and share in daycare.

"Work a little harder." She chewed on her bottom lip while thinking about it. "Okay," Sharon decided. "We'll give them a few more months. Then I want us to sit down and _really _talk about this. Rusty is seventeen now, and he'll be eighteen next spring. I would like to broach the subject with him before then, but if we can't, then we can't." Her head tilted, her eyes sparkled happily as the last of her temper faded away. She was still furious with Rios and Taylor and she would be dealing with both of them in her own way. For the moment there was her family to focus on. "Have I mentioned lately," she began, "that I really love you."

His lips pursed while he thought about it. "No, I don't think you have." Andy pretended to think about it a little more. "Nope, definitely not. I'm seriously neglected. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I mean, here I am, doc telling me to lay off the stress, and my wife can't even—"

She cut him off with a kiss. Her lips covered his, hands sliding into his hair as she effectively cut off his playful tirade. When she lifted her head again, her lips curved into a slow smile. "Better?"

"Getting there." He grinned up at her. "I am definitely feeling better about the situation." When she slid off his lap, he let her. Andy pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to lift Joey out of his play yard. He set the boy on his feet and pointed him toward the sofa. "Go help mom."

Joey was only too happy to trot over to the couch and lean against his mother's leg. She lay a hand against the top of his head as she reached into the laundry basket for another towel. "Try this one," she handed him a face towel to _fold_ while she continued with the rest of the laundry. When he gathered it into a wad and knocked the stack of neatly folded towels over as he set it with them, she laughed. "You do laundry like your father."

"Yep." Andy slipped out of the vest that went with his suit and tossed it onto the bannister with his jacket. He started rolling up the sleeves of his pale, green shirt as he walked into the kitchen to start dinner. With the mood that Sharon was in, and the day that both she and Rusty had, it was looking like a pot roast kind of night. "That's my boy. Show her how we do it, son."

Rusty came down the stairs a little while later. He shook his head at Sharon kneeling by the sofa helping Joey fold towels. "You do know that there are these places that you can go, and they sell these things called toys. Kids like them. You should think about it."

"Funny guy!" She looked up at him with a bright smile. "You know, I had heard of them. I think we're probably good on those kinds of things." To punctuate that, Sharon cast a very pointed look at the over flowing toy box in a corner of the room. There was another one in Joey's bedroom. The child was spoiled, there was no question about it. She was blaming his father for that. Sharon stood and tried to ignore the way that her knees popped. Good heavens, she was getting old. "Rusty, we should talk about what happened today."

"I know." He sighed. "Just, not yet, okay? Maybe after dinner? I'm just not ready to go there again. I don't want to think about it yet, so can we just wait? Please?"

He looked so miserable and so desperate about it. Sharon sighed quietly. "Yes of course, but we will sit down after dinner and discuss that meeting. Understood?"

"Yeah." Rusty nodded. "I had a feeling you wouldn't let it go completely. You never do, Sharon." He smiled a bit as he turned to walk into the kitchen. "Smells like a roast," he said. "Tell me, does it ever strike you as strange that we let the vegetarian handle stuff like that around here?"

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "It does, a little." She shrugged. "I've never really dwelled on it. I suppose as long as he isn't substituting tofu and soy burgers we can continue to trust him in the kitchen."

"But the minute he starts that, we're totally kicking him out of the kitchen right?" Rusty grinned.

"Absolutely. Banned for life." She smirked. "Once the kitchen trust is gone…"

"There is no going back." Rusty smirked. "Good, I've been worried about that."

"You know," Andy said from inside the kitchen. "I _can_ hear you." He walked over and leaned against the open door. "I wonder if either of you would even know the difference." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. There were a lot of things that could be done with meat substitutes.

"We'd know." Rusty said. "Don't even try it."

"Do not come between a teenage boy and his burgers," Sharon said, managing only narrowly to keep a straight face.

When she folded her lips into a thin line to hide the smile, and even further, to keep from laughing, Andy's eyes narrowed. He saw the tremor work its way through her. Andy pushed away from the door frame and turned to go back into the kitchen. "Oh yeah, we're going to see about that…"

Rusty's brows climbed toward his hairline. He shot a look at Sharon. "In hindsight, that might have backfired on us."

"Oh yeah." She scooped Joey into her arms and started toward the kitchen. "Damage control."

"Forget the damage control," Rusty said, following her. "Let's go straight for the bribery. Quick, go upstairs. Get the red dress. He likes that one!"

Sharon snorted. "If begging doesn't work, I might just…"


	33. Chapter 33

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: To **CaptainBadAssMarshmallowFluff** you are reading my mind, re Chapter 26. Maybe that is exactly what they need to do! :) Do you think that this could do the trick?

**Chapter 32 **

They almost didn't go. The weekend trip to Westport was almost cancelled in light of the threatening letter that Rusty received. In the end, Julio offered to keep an eye on the boys while Sharon and Andy went off on their romantic weekend alone. He traded places with Nicole and would be staying with Rusty and Joey instead.

That still hadn't made it easy for Sharon to leave. It had been two weeks since that letter, and she was still as uneasy about it as Rusty was unhappy about being grounded. That made for some tense moments in their household. Rusty didn't like being relegated back to living in a police state, but he was doing it. More than anything he just wanted to stay where he was, and if that meant going everywhere with a police escort of some kind, be it Sharon and Andy or one of the Major Crimes team, and even being ferried to and from summer school by Patrol, then Rusty was willing to put up with it.

That didn't mean that the kid was always gracious about it. He was a kid, a teenager that had been through a lot and was, for the first time, living a life that was almost normal.

With all of that happening, Andy was more convinced than ever that they needed to get away, even if it was only for a weekend. It took some convincing on his part. When that hadn't worked, he resorted to wheedling, and finally a negotiation. They would go away for the weekend if, and only if, he could guarantee that Rusty would be safe while they were gone. That's where Julio had come into it. He'd be staying at the house with the boys, fully armed and ready for trouble, and with the added benefit of having babysat Joey before.

They were having a guys weekend. Buzz was dropping by on Saturday and while Andy didn't know all of what they had planned, Rusty was excited about it. In so much as Rusty allowed himself to get excited about anything. He was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Andy could understand that. He was sure he'd do the same if he were in Rusty's shoes.

Sharon was still a bundle of nerves as they left Los Angeles. They flew north to San Francisco, and from there they were making the drive up the coast to Westport. It wasn't until they were in their rental car and halfway to their destination before she finally began to relax somewhat. The miles grew between them and Los Angeles, and while her worry remained, the tension fell away.

They were staying in a small, rented cottage overlooking the cliffs. They would have a great view of the ocean if the pictures they had seen of the place did it justice.

Upon arriving, they realized that the pictures didn't even begin to scratch the surface.

The cottage itself was lovely enough, but it was the landscape that was truly breathtaking. Waves crashed against the rocky cliffs upon which the cottage resided. There was even a small path that led down to a pebble strewn beach. A cool, salty breeze blew inland. It was clean and crisp, providing a respite from the southern California heat and pollution that they'd left behind. For the next few days it was all theirs.

The sun was setting when Andy went in search of his wife. They had long since unloaded the car and gotten settled in for the weekend. He found her standing on the cliffs, eyes turned to the ocean, watching as the sun slowly sank on the horizon. The sky burned, cast in hues of gold and scarlet. Her hair was alight with it, the fading colors of day bringing out the red highlights and setting them aflame. She was wrapped in a sweater to protect against the cool, night air. When his arms slid around her from behind, she hummed quietly as she settled into his embrace.

Andy turned his face into her neck, let his lips gently brush her skin. "I thought that maybe I would find you out here," he rumbled quietly.

She settled her arms over his and pulled them more securely around her. Her head tilted, rested against his while she smiled. "It wasn't an image I could pass up. It's beautiful here." Sharon settled comfortably against him, hummed again at the feel of his lips against her shoulder. "I could happily stay, I think. Find a bigger house, on the cliffs of course, and retire. Leave LA to the manipulators and politicians. What do you think?"

"I don't know." He rested his chin against her shoulder and smiled. "I was kind of thinking we'd go somewhere with some trees. That's the thing we don't have a lot of in LA. You know, maybe find a little cabin in the woods. No phones, no internet, and no TV." He felt her chuckle before he heard it. "Okay, well, maybe a sports grill nearby where I could watch the game occasionally, but you know what I mean. No interruptions. No cases. No news."

"Trees?" Sharon grinned at that. She glanced back at him, then she looked and cast a very pointed gaze at a line of California Pines not far from where they stood. "I think that could be arranged…"

"A tree-lined cliff overlooking the ocean." Andy grinned. "Never let it be said that we can't compromise. Okay, you win. A nice, little oceanside village, I can handle that." His hand splayed flat across her stomach. Andy turned his face into her neck and nuzzled gently. "You know, really doesn't matter to me at all," he said quietly, "just as long as you're there."

Her smile softened. Sharon let her eyes close. His warmth surrounded her, and it was more than a physical presence. There in his arms, she let the world fade away. Nothing else seemed to matter, at least not in that moment. When his lips moved up her neck, to brush her ear, she sighed quietly. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Flynn."

"That's what I've heard." He pressed his lips into her hair. "Not flattery, just the way it is, Flynn."

She laughed quietly. It wasn't something that she got to hear very often. She had kept her name professionally, and their work seemed to take up most of their days. She was tempted to change her name, but Andy believed, and she tended to agree, that anyone hearing _Captain Flynn_ would probably keel over in shock. They didn't want to be responsible for anyone's untimely demise, probably best to hold off for a while. When they retired, her ex-husband's name could fall away.

There was another part of her, too, that wanted to wait until the Department had to promote him. They had insisted on moving him into a leadership position in another division. It put him inline for a promotion as soon as the freeze was lifted, which should be in the next fiscal year or so. Sharon smirked at the thought. The look on Taylor's face would be worth it, having to put up with not one _Captain Flynn, _but two. It was something to think about at the very least. She would keep it at the back of her mind.

For now, the sun was fading away. They had a thousand sunsets left to enjoy together. Sharon turned in his arms and let her own slide around his waist. She tipped her head back and let a soft smile curve her lips. "I'm glad I came," she told him. "Thank you."

He watched the play of the light in her hair. Andy lifted his hands and slid his fingers into the thick chestnut curtain. "You needed this," he said. "The boys are going to be okay. _Rusty_ will be okay." They weren't going to let anything happen to him.

"I know." She believed him. They were taking every precaution, and so far there had only been the one letter. It was obviously an attempt at intimidation, but if the writer thought that he could bully them, then he really was mistaken. He couldn't begin to understand what and _who_ he was messing with. Sharon drew a breath and let it out slowly. Her hands slid up his forearms to wrap around his wrists. "I think I just thought that… after everything we've faced with him, his mother, his father, all of it… that finally we were in the clear. He's just a kid, he deserves a normal life."

"He'll have one." His thumbs stroked the curve of her jaw. "It's going to be okay, you know. Rusty is tough, he'll make it through all this. He's going to have a normal life, we're going to see to that."

"Hm." She turned her face and let her lips brush the inside of his wrist. "We?" Her eyes sparkled up at him.

"We," he told her with a grin. "If I'm goin' down, I'm taking you with me, remember?"

Sharon laughed. The sound light and musical. She let her head fall back and allowed it to fill her. "Yes," her eyes lit, gold flecks burning brighter in the fading sunlight. "Absolutely. Where you go, I go. Don't worry, you're stuck with me now."

"Good." He smirked. Andy pulled her back into the circle of his arms and held on tightly. "You're not goin' anywhere without me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she murmured against his neck. Sharon wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly. "What would I do without my best friend?"

"Let's not find out." He held onto her for a few minutes longer. Then reluctantly, he pulled away, but only to draw her back into the cottage with him.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Candles burned on every surface of the room. They cast the room in soft, glowing, flickering light. Andy watched the play of it, the way the lights flickered against the steaming water of the bath. His eyes tracked the movement of the light against her skin. It seemed to glow, both from the heat and the glow of the candles. His hand slid along the smooth expanse of her leg, from knee to ankle, while he watched her lips curve slowly upward.

She lay against the opposite end of the tub, hair pinned back, damp and curling against her cheeks and neck. She had an arm draped against the side of the tub, the other was laying across her stomach. Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open when his fingers trailed back up the length of her leg.

A relaxed haze had settled over them with the setting of the sun. Dinner was a quiet affair, filled with anticipation and promise. An entire weekend of only each other lay before them. The possibilities were almost heady. Moments like this were few and far between with a small child and teenager at home. They wanted to savor it.

It was an opportunity to recharge as much as it was a chance to enjoy each other. After dinner they walked along the cliffs, the moonlight was their guide. They returned to the cottage as a light drizzle of rain began to fall. It wasn't quite cool enough, even along the Northern California coast, to warrant lighting the fireplace, so they had run a bath instead.

"Do you ever wish we'd found this sooner?" His voice rumbled quietly in the room. Andy watched her head tilt at the question. "That we had longer together," he said simply.

Her lips pursed and she looked away while she thought of it. She recalled the people that they had been, even before the circumstances of her final split with Jack drew them together. "No." Sharon smiled. Her eyes watched the play of rain against the frosted bathroom window as she worked through the thought. "I don't think the people that we were then would understand what we have now, or even appreciate it. I know that I like to think that I would love you anyway, whatever the circumstances, but…" She trailed off as she brought her gaze back to him. "I think that we had to live the lives that we did to be who we are together." There was a certain reality to their situation of having found each other so late in their lives. They didn't have the over fifty years that her parents had been married to spend with one another. Twenty, certainly, or perhaps thirty if they were lucky. She hoped that they would be lucky. More than that, she hoped that they would be blessed.

"Hm." Andy let his gaze roam as he thought about that. He supposed that she was probably right. They had not always appreciated one another. It was the opposite of that, actually. "You're probably right," he said. "I wasn't always so great to be around when we were younger."

"Neither was I." The hand that was draped across her stomach lifted. She slid it along the edge of the tub to find his and let their fingers tangle together. "I was so caught up in wanting to do well, and then in wanting to prove that I could have a solid career _and_ be a mother, that I didn't see the trouble that Jack was in until it was too late. I loved him," she said, with all the ease of knowing that they could talk about anything, even their previous marriages. "That didn't stop me from being absent, even a little indifferent. Jack left me, but if I'm honest about it, I left him before that. There is some fault to be laid on both sides of that situation."

"I was a drunk," Andy said unnecessarily. "I drowned what I couldn't fix in the bottom of a bottle of bourbon. When Vicki left me, I didn't fight for her. Not the way I should have. I found another bottle instead. Then I got rid of the bottle and dropped my head into one case after another. That could have been us instead," he said, realizing the truth in it.

"Yes." Sharon smiled sadly at him. "I wouldn't have seen it. I was ambitious and a little naive." Her thumb stroked the edge of his hand. "My mother said something to me when I got pregnant with Emily. I didn't feel like I was ready to be a mother, and I didn't think that Jack and I were ready for a baby. We weren't trying. Quite the opposite, actually. We only just got married, and he wasn't even through law school yet. I'd only just graduated from the Academy, and everything was just happening way too soon. We had this tiny little apartment, and it just did not seem like a good situation. I was terrified. I told my mother that I was pregnant before I even told Jack. She said that we are given only what we can handle, when we can handle it, and even when it doesn't seem like it, the experiences of our lives shape who we're going to be, and what we're going to do. I didn't believe her then. I do now." Her eyes shone brightly at him, while her fingers tightened around his. "I was left by a man who wanted his next bottle and card game more than he wanted the family that we created together. Only to end up loving another that would trade every bottle he ever touched for the family that he lost. My life brought me here today, it brought me to you. It gave me Emily, Ricky, and Joey… and Rusty. I have no regrets."

Andy sat up in the tub and leaned forward. His hands slid along her thighs. "Just one difference," he told her. "That guy would trade every bottle he ever touched for just one more day with you."

Warmth filled her. Her hand cupped his cheek. "One more tomorrow will never be enough, but I will take as many as I'm allowed to have."

He pulled her across the tub. Water sloshed over the edge as he resettled her in his lap. "You can have all my tomorrows." His hand moved into her hair and in the process, it dislodged the clip holding it back. It all tumbled down and around her shoulders. Andy gathered the strands as his hands cupped her head and let his fingers tangle in the thick locks. His mouth angled over hers and he caught her sigh with his lips.

As young lovers they had promised forever. Now they knew that forever was a thing of fairytales. It belonged in movies and songs, and in the poems written by young lovers with years spread out before them in which to learn the truth. They knew that all they had was today, and all that they could promise to give was tomorrow. It wasn't enough, but it was what they had. It was realistic and true, and that promise meant more than any of the heartfelt murmurings of forever they'd heard in their lifetime.

It was an odd set of happenings that had brought them to this moment. All of it unlikely and had he been told, at the start, that this would be the result, Andy might have laughed in the face of that messenger. Yes, he always thought her attractive, but in all the years that preceded that one fateful evening in the parking garage, he never imagined that they could be something other than adversaries or awkward acquaintances.

The parts of his life were built in layers. There was his work, his friends, his children, and Sharon. Andy knew that he was holding one of the best parts of that life in his hands at present. Their children would always come first, for both of them. They both understood that at any given moment everything could or would be dropped for Emily, Nicole, Ricky, Charlie or Joey. Now there was Rusty too, and that had taken some time to adjust to, but he was among them, a reluctant sixth child to add to that list. At the end of every day, however, there was always the two of them. When their children's needs had been met and they were no longer needed, there was still a partner to turn to.

He gazed up at her now, eyes half lidded, cheeks flushed and glowing. His thumb traced the curve of her cheek. "I should thank him someday," he rumbled quietly. He watched her brows lift in confusion, only for a moment, before her lips curved in understanding. Every expression of that beautiful face was so easily read. She could say very little, and still her point would be made. "I have you, and we have Joey," he explained anyway, "because he walked away." How any man could ever walk away from her, Andy would never understand, but he would be thankful for it anyway.

"It was never going to last." Sharon said. She shifted against him, so that their positions were not quite so awkward in the tub. Their knees would thank them, she knew. She turned and settled with her back against his chest. She drew his arms around her and lay her head in the crook of his neck. "He was always going to leave. Jack and I were never meant to be anything but what we are, and what we were. I'm not sure I understand yet how it was that you were there. I'm only glad that you were." Sharon chuckled quietly. "Amusing, isn't it? He brought you into my life… even before he left it. So yes, maybe someday we should both thank him."

"I told Vicki I wanted to grow old with her," he said, reflecting on the early years of his first marriage. "Now I am old. She's got Jeff, and I've got you." His lips brushed her hair. "Getting old ain't so bad at all."

"Hm." She smiled. Her hands stroked his arms. "No, it really isn't." Sharon lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes sparkled. "We're not _that _old, you know…"

There was a gleam in her eyes. He watched her drag her bottom lip between her teeth and he slipped his hand up to cup the side of her neck again. "Not yet," he rumbled in response, and let his lips cover hers again. His tongue caressed that full, bottom lip, and the low throaty sound of her hum settled deep inside him.

They left the tub. The towel they grabbed was mostly an afterthought. Lips and tongues traced the droplets of water that clung to damp, flushed skin. The towel was tossed aside and forgotten as they tumbled onto the bed. The night was lost in soft sighs and ragged moans, long limbs and unhurried explorations, in cresting waves of frenzy and patience, love and longing, heat, and a lingering promise of tomorrow. Always tomorrow.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Early Sunday morning, after a weekend spent in quiet leisure, exploring the coastal village and surrounding countryside, and each other, Andy began loading the car for the drive back to San Francisco. Sharon watched, amused as he took care of the task himself. She shook her head at him. They were not due to fly back to Los Angeles until noon the following day. The plan had called for them to drive back to the city early Monday morning. All that Andy would tell her was that a surprise waited for her. For all of her wheedling, he said nothing on the matter, not even a hint.

After the car was loaded, they made the journey down the winding coastal road. They checked into a hotel in downtown, settling in only for a single night. Even as they explored the city, Andy would not reveal the purpose of their staying overnight. He suggested lunch at a bayside restaurant and her suspicions began to grow when, upon arriving, a reservation awaited. Sharon watched her husband in narrow-eyed amusement as they were taken to their table.

Theirs was a round, corner table, at which two people were already seated. She grabbed his arm and flashed a bright, joy-filled smile, even as Emily and Ricky stood to be greeted. Her eyes gleamed with warmth. She could have kissed him in that moment, but instead, she moved forward, pulling her daughter to her first.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was thick, even as she laughed while holding her baby girl against her.

"Christmas was too long ago." Emily leaned back, a wide smile curving her lips. "We can't seem to both get away at the same time, and then Andy mentioned that you two would be up here. He said that if we could swing it with our schedules, he could arrange to get you into San Francisco for the evening."

"Emily called me," Ricky stepped in, edging past his sister to hug his mother. "She said she could fly in for the weekend, if I could get away from work for a few hours." He was grinning crookedly as he let his mother go and then leaned over to shake his stepfather's hand. "So Em flew in yesterday, and we made lunch and dinner reservations around town. We left the rest of it up to the old guy."

"I'm flying in for Nicole's wedding," Emily said, as she moved over to hug her stepfather. "But it's her weekend. I thought we could visit now, and let the diva have her due in a few weeks."

Sharon laughed. The girls liked to tease each other about being evil, ugly stepsisters, but genuinely got along very well. Tormenting their brothers was a favorite shared sport. Nicole had proved to be quite a help with Emily, a sounding board and sympathetic ear to a girl who was learning to cope with having a new stepfather when her own father was hardly around. Shared histories, shared hurts. They'd had much to bond over. Andy had found his way. Jack likely never would.

"Yes," Sharon agreed. "That is probably a good idea. The closer we get, the more intense the planning becomes."

"Tell me about it." Andy looked at Ricky and rolled his eyes. "How many shades of pink could there possibly be? It's either pink or not pink, right?"

Ricky blinked at him. "You mean, you haven't gotten into the world of mauve, puce, and rose yet?" He smirked at him. "Forgetting who I grew up with?" He hooked a thumb at his mother and sister. "I feel your pain, though."

"This from the man that has five different gray suits," Sharon smirked. "Each of them a different shade."

"And style," Emily pointed out for her with a wide grin." Her eyes sparkled. "How many suits can one man own anyway?"

"Oh honey." Sharon shook her head. "The five grey, there are three different shades of brown, black, and even a navy." The corners of her mouth twitched. "He can accessorize too."

"This from the woman who has an entire wall of shelves devoted to her shoes." Andy shook his head at his wife. They all took their seats, Emily and Ricky sat beside their mother, while Andy sat across from her at the round table.

Sharon and Emily exchanged a look before they both cast a wide-eyed, earnest look at him. "But Andy, shoes are important," they both said.

"She's your mother," Andy told Ricky.

"You married her," He pointed out with a crooked grin.

Emily laughed as she turned to her mother. "How are the boys, tell me everything."

It was Joey that she asked about, but Sharon smiled warmly that her girl would include Rusty as well.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in catching up on all of the things that were not discussed in weekly phone calls. They discussed Joey and Rusty, the upcoming wedding, and plans for the winter holidays. Plans for Park City were once again tentative, but this year they were making contingency plans for spending the holiday in Los Angeles.

They spent the remainder of the day shopping and looking at the sights that the city had to offer. The evening was spent at another wonderful restaurant, and then they took in a show. Emily was getting on an early flight back to New York, and so Sharon had bid her girl goodbye with the promise of seeing each other again very soon. Ricky promised to meet them for breakfast and see them off to the airport.

The hour was late, and it was far past when they should have both already been asleep. Sharon was nestled in against her husband in the wide, hotel bed. She wore his t-shirt, and curled against his side, her feet tucked between his calves. She could lament that she had so short a time with her kids, but it was more than she'd had prior to that afternoon.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly. "It was a perfect day." Such a simple thing, but absolutely what she had needed. Emily and Ricky were chasing their dreams, and that was exactly what Sharon wanted for them, but she missed them both. He'd brought them together for a short while, and it was a wonderful respite from the miles that separated them the rest of the time. "The only things missing were Rusty and Joey, and I can't even feel sorry about that, because Emily looked beautiful and I swear Ricky has grown another inch."

"What was with the scruff?" Andy chuckled quietly. "It looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple of days."

"I know." Sharon tucked her face against his neck as she giggled. "Oh god, when did they grow up?" Her hand slid up his chest and she sighed quietly. "It goes so fast." Now she was thinking of Joey, two years gone, and growing so quickly. Wasn't it only yesterday that they were allowed to finally bring him home? She thought of the first, frightening days of his life and now it all seemed so far removed from them. Joey was healthy, happy, and bright. He was learning fast, so inquisitive about the world around him. He was his father's son. Putting all of the genetics of his birth aside, that boy was nothing but Flynn.

There were still only very few people who knew the truth of Joey's origins. Sharon intended to keep it that way. The only person who remained to be told was Joey himself, and only when he was old enough to understand the truth. Secrets such as these had ways of coming to light, and while she trusted the people who knew the truth, implicitly, she still wanted their son to hear it from them. They had years to go until that time arrived, but it seemed to be moving so quickly.

"Yeah." Andy sighed. His fingers stroked her scalp, where his hand had settled in her hair while her head lay against his shoulder. "Nicole is getting married."

"Yes." Her lips curved. They brushed his neck. "It's just around the corner."

Seemed like only yesterday she was only a kid. Andy shook his head. "He's got kids. Next thing we know, they'll be having kids of their own. Don't know if I'm ready for all that."

"Hm." She stroked his chest again. "You are. You'll do fine. You're going to love it," she predicted. He was such a big, damn teddy bear where the kids were concerned.

Andy laughed quietly. "So says the grandma with a toddler at home…" When she groaned and pinched his side, Andy chuckled again and gathered her close. "You'll be the envy of all the grandmas at the bingo game… ouch!"

Sharon shoved him away from her with a huff. "Just because there's a certain birthday happening in a few months, does not mean that you can—"

"Okay, okay," He pulled her back down beside him, but Andy was still grinning. "I promise, no more fifty jokes." He paused. "Whatever Rusty already has planned, though, I cannot be held responsible for." Andy looked down at her, his dark eyes sparkling in the dim light of the room. "Especially when Provenza helped him…"

"I knew letting them spend time together could not end well." She buried her face against his neck again and sighed. "I don't want to think about it right now. I'll think about it in a few months. When the panic sets in."

Andy shook his head. He turned his head and pressed his lips into her hair. For all her caring and strength, she could be a vain woman, his wife. It was human and vulnerable, and he loved her all the more. "Sexiest fifty-something I ever saw," he rumbled quietly.

"That's why I love you." She smiled as she settled comfortably against him again. "You say all the best things." Sharon lifted her head and stared at him. "And not a single black balloon or streamer had better make it into the house. Understood?"

"Would I do that to you?" Andy grinned at her. "Come on, Sharon. How long have you known me?"

"Exactly." Her brow rose. "I'm warning you, Andrew Michael Flynn…"

"I'm telling you, Sharon Diane Flynn, there's not a single plan for anything like that at the house." His hand slid down her back to rest against her hip. Her office was another matter entirely, but he had nothing to do with that. Except donating half the funds for the balloons and the cake. If the candles on the thing didn't set the place on fire, it would be a miracle. "I promise," he said seriously.

Sharon's eyes narrowed. She didn't know that she should believe him. She lay her head back against his shoulder with a sigh. "We'll see."

Yes, they would indeed. Andy moved his hand back into her hair and went back to gently stroking her scalp. "I was thinking," he said after a minute. "Rusty's got issues with the Zoo, and no one can blame him for that, but Joey's big enough now to appreciate it. Maybe we can drive down to San Diego for the weekend, before his senior year stars, take 'em both to the zoo there. The kid probably won't mind it so much. Ya think?"

"We'll ask him." She smiled against his neck again. "I think it's a wonderful idea, though. You're right, Joey will love it. We'll see if we can make it work." Their schedules could be unpredictable, but they would do their best. "Have I mentioned lately, that I love you?"

"It's come up in conversation a couple of times." His lips brushed her forehead again. "Good thing too, since it's pretty much mutual."

Sharon hummed quietly as she relaxed against him. It was a perfect weekend. Just the outing they had both needed. It was a bit surreal, this life they were living, but she would always be glad for having taken a chance on them. It was one of the best things she'd ever done. She made a note to tell him that, when she wasn't quite so heavy with the first stirrings of sleep.


	34. Chapter 34

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** To the guest reviewer asking about Rusty and Joey's ages... the chapters that are set in the "present" take place between their birthdays. So yes, Rusty has turned 19, but Joey has not turned 4 yet.

**Chapter 33**

The trendy downtown cafe was bustling with activity as Sharon moved through tables toward the small occupied booth along one of the outer walls. "Sorry I'm late." She dropped her purse onto the leather bench seat before she shrugged out of her jacket and slid into the booth. She plastered a smile on her face and exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "It's been something of a day."

Vicki chuckled quietly. She waved a hand as the other woman settled across from her. "Don't worry about it, I just got here myself." She clasped her hands in her lap while she waited for the other woman to get settled. Sharon seemed far more flustered than was typical of her. Vicki arched a brow at her. "Tough case?"

"They're all tough." Sharon sighed. "Some are a little worse than others, but no." She shook her head. "My ex-husband is back in town." She rolled her eyes. "He showed up at the house at three o'clock this morning, actually thinking that I was going to let him crash in a guest room, one that doesn't exist anymore mind you, and now _your_ ex-husband is wanting to kill him. I'm almost tempted to let him." She rested her chin in her hand and sighed again. "Almost."

"Yes, that would do it." Vicki's brows rose in surprise. She lifted a hand as the waiter walked by. "We're going to need that wine list after all…" As he wandered off again, Vicki turned her attention back on her companion. "Sounds like you've definitely had a day. For once, I don't think I can fault Andy or his temper." Her head tilted. Vicki lifted a hand and swept a short lock of dark hair behind her ear. "Actually, if our positions were reversed, and putting aside for the moment that you're married to _my_ ex-husband, I think I'd have to kill him myself."

"I was tempted to get my gun," Sharon admitted with a smile. "I'm just glad Jack didn't have a key anymore. Andy and I had the all the locks changed when we replaced the garage door and installed the new security system. Instead he decided to beat on the door and wake up the house. Rusty went right back to bed, but once Joey was up, he was ready to play."

"What did you do?" Vicki leaned forward, already imagining how she would have handled the same situation. Her eyes were alight with the promise of a juicy story.

"Kicked out the ex," Sharon shrugged. "Calmed down the husband, played with the baby, and then napped on the sofa." She paused for a moment, and then laughed at Vicki's very expectant expression. "Okay, catnapped on the sofa, because calming down the husband took up much of the rest of the morning."

"Ah." Vicki nodded. "Yes. That does sound more like it." She leaned back in her seat. "Well, then I almost feel bad for getting him riled again."

"I knew there had to be more to this than just wanting to have lunch." Sharon dropped her hands into her lap. "Okay, let's have it. What's changing now?" It was only that she could remember being a young bride that allowed Sharon to face the wedding planning with far more patience than her husband.

"Nothing like that," Vicki assured her. "We have everything locked down. Nicole is picking up her dress at the end of the week, and that's the last of it." She and her husband, Jeff, had paid for Nicole's dress, as well as those of the bridesmaids. Andy had paid for the venue, and they'd split the rest of it. "Let's order first," she said.

Sharon groaned quietly. That almost didn't bode well. Vicki was using her _I am entirely too reasonable_ _for this situation_ tone. "Maybe we'd better, and maybe you're right about that wine list, but I should go back to work when we're done here, so let's make it a triple shot espresso instead."

"That sounds even better." Vicki shook her head. "Lord, we are getting old." She waved a hand to get the waiter's attention again, signaling they were ready to order.

The cafe was one that they frequented. They were familiar with the menu and gave it only a cursory glance as the waiter approached them. Once their orders for coffee and salad were placed, Sharon gestured for Vicki to launch in to the reason for this meeting. They had two families to merge, and they had learned, over the course of the last two years, that if they worked together then the whole matter of family harmony was a lot easier to achieve. It wasn't always easy, or successful, but it was worth the attempt.

"Nicole is planning on sitting down with her father in a couple of days," Vicki began. "She wants to talk to him about the ceremony. She was just a little thing when Jeff and I met. We got married while she was still in elementary school. Andy wasn't even sober then…"

Sharon suppressed the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose, but she did sigh. She could sense where this was headed. "Vicki, I'm not going to help Nicole break his heart if that is where this is going."

She was beginning to bristle. Vicki quickly waved a hand through the air between them. "No, no, no, nothing like that. At least, not entirely. She wants them both to walk her down the aisle. The thing is, Andy has never been exactly… patient where Jeff's place in our children's lives is concerned. Jeff is important to Nicole too. Andy may be there now, but Jeff was there when he wasn't. Andy may have taught her how to drive, but Jeff taught her to ride a bicycle. She doesn't know how to tell him that she intends to share it with both of them."

There were times when Sharon really wished that she didn't understand where the other woman was coming from. She wished that she couldn't see the logic and reason in it, and that she hadn't lived a life similar enough that she was already nodding. Vicki was right, she didn't imagine that Andy would understand, at least in the beginning. He would eventually see reason. In the end he would be able to understand that this wedding was not about him, or any of them, it was about Nicole and Mark and the family that they were creating. Nicole deserved to have the wedding of her dreams, every girl did. Her dreams just happened to include her stepfather as well as her father.

When the waiter brought their coffees, Sharon looked up at him. "Definitely, bring the wine list." It was shaping up to be a long afternoon and she didn't really foresee herself going back to work anytime soon. "I guess we're talking about the usual setup?" She tilted her head and smiled wryly at her husband's ex-wife. "We'll invite Nicole over for dinner, so that she can have that chat with her dad, and then _I_ get to calm him down." Her lips pursed. "You understand of course that the tab you're running is getting pretty long, right?"

"Yes." Vicki shook her head. She offered a small smirk. "I suppose that it is. I'm going to end up owing you twice over, and I don't suppose we can call it even with a night of babysitting?"

Sharon's lips pursed. "Oh, I think we're going to have to arrange something. Not that it would be at all awkward to send our son off with the ex-wife and the replacement husband."

"Now, now," Vicki grinned. "I thought we agreed not to use such derogatory terms. When the wife-in-law offers to babysit, you take her up on it. Actually, when _anyone_ offers to babysit, you take them up on it." Her head inclined. "Oh fine. Jeff and I have tickets to the opera, and he hates it. I can part with them and you can get your own babysitter for that night."

"Done." Sharon leaned back with her coffee cupped in her hands. "See, we can be reasonable. I don't understand why Jeff and Andy get so worried when they find out we're going to be alone together."

"It's almost as if they expect it to devolve into some sort of argument that is far beneath us." Vicki lifted her own cup. "You'd think they would both know us better than to think we'd resort to a common shouting match. Who are we? Them?"

"Hm." Sharon nodded. "Indeed. I am disappointed at their lack of creativity. If we were going to fight, we'd make it far more interesting than that."

"Unlike them, of course." Vicki rolled her eyes. "Such boys." Her lips pursed and her head inclined. "Although, maybe the next time, we could be a little less eager to split them up." Vicki's eyes lit suddenly and filled with mischief. "There could be an oil of some kind involved…"

Sharon reached over and snapped her fingers in the other woman's face to bring her back to reality. "We're meant to be setting an example. Not digressing into schoolgirl fantasies."

"Pity," Vicki sighed. "That could have been a good one. Okay, the tickets are yours, I'll have them sent over. You'll invite Nicole out to the house? It would really be a good idea if she would stop doing her very Andy-like avoidance of the issue and just tell the man what she has planned."

It was Sharon's turn to roll her eyes. "Yes, of course. But those tickets are only scratching the surface. When this is all over, you can help me figure out how to get rid of a troublesome ex-husband who hasn't figured out that divorce means no, and go away means don't come back."

"Oh that's easy." Vicki grinned widely at her. "Just find him a new wife!" Her eyes sparkled gleefully. "Then we'd have a third. We're well established already, so we'd just make her do all our dirty work for us. It's simple. Perfect actually."

"The plotting." Sharon shook her finger at the woman sitting in front of her, "I thought they got it from Andy. Oh no, I'm seeing the truth now. They both got it all from you. That was horrible. Why in the world would I ever encourage Jack to get remarried? It would be cruel to wish that on some poor, unsuspecting…"

"Blonde bimbo that will probably end up being half his age?" Vicki smirked knowingly. "Hm.. you know, it doesn't always work out that way."

"Let's not be petty." Sharon made a face. "But if it would make you feel better, I could go blonde…"

"Ouch." Vicki nodded as she was reminded that the other woman was younger than she, if only by a year or so. "Duly noted."

When their salads arrived, so too did the wine list. They each ordered a glass of a sweet white California classic and then settled in with their salads to discuss the remainder of the wedding plans and how the event was shaping up. Sharon couldn't help but ask about the incident with the flowers.

"Tropicals." Vicki groaned. "Don't get me wrong, they were gorgeous, but the color was entirely too bright and they just didn't blend with the rest of the decor. I don't know what she was thinking. Now we have a nice blend of roses, glads, and lilies in all my daughter's varying shades of white and pink."

Sharon started laughing again. "The one question I hear most often out of mine, _what__'__s the big deal, it__'__s pink or it__'__s not!_" She said it in a deeper voice, imitating her husband's grumbling comments about the wedding's color scheme.

Vicki snorted quietly and lifted her napkin to her mouth. She nodded. "Oh, you've got him pegged." She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "_Ivory, pearl, and cream? Is the dress white or not?__" _She said, imitating her own husband. "It's like, by the time their daughters get married, they forget they ever had a wedding of their own. We've done this before."

"_Are you kidding me right now_," Sharon began, "_they__'__re building a fountain and a pond? If she wants water, why don__'__t they have it at the beach!__" _She leaned back in her seat, the smile on her face warm and affectionate. "As much as he loves Nicole, and as happy as he is for her, he can't wait for this to be over. Bless him, but I don't think he's realized yet that we'll have to do this again at some point." Emily would marry some day, and they'd go through much of the same with the planning.

"That's right." Vicki nodded slowly. "Jeff's son got married a couple of years ago. Nathan is older than Nicole and Charlie. So for us, this is it." Her eyes lit up with amusement. "Oh, I can't wait. I'm going to love watching that."

"Thanks," Sharon rolled her eyes. "I can just feel the support." Her head tilted while she thought about it. "Although, the added benefit of our sons is that I can send him off with them when he starts to irritate us."

Vicki's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that." She lifted her wine glass when it arrived and sat back with it. "I think I just found a new way of dealing with Jeff's aggravation at all this planning. I'll tell him to run along with Nathan, Mark and the boys. Oh that's perfect. As long as I have the checkbook and the credit cards, it isn't as if I really need him to be there, right?"

"Exactly." Sharon smirked. "If you happen to do a little shopping on the side while you're at it, well, we deserve a little bit of a reward too, right?" Her green eyes glittered. "Just buy something he'll appreciate and he'll forget that you've added another row of shoes to the closet." She waved a hand dismissively as she said it.

"Distract and conquer," Vicki stated. "The first weapon in every wife's arsenal. I almost think that I should tell Nicole about that. Although, it _is_ more fun when you learn it on your own." Her lips pursed and she shrugged. "She'll figure it out."

Sharon chuckled. "Oh, don't be fooled. She's already learned. Watch her with Andy the next time we're all together. She breaks out _daddy_ to disarm him, and then goes in for the kill. It's quite masterful. She's teaching Emily." Sharon grinned. "He's done for."

Vicki laughed. "When I was pregnant with Charlie, he wanted another girl," she said. "He said, girls are easy, it's the boys that you've got to look out for. Now he's surrounded by strong willed, opinionated women, and I don't feel sorry for him at all."

Lips pursed, Sharon thought about that for a moment. She hummed as she shook her head. "Neither do I." She paused before adding, "Most of the time. The girls aside, I look at Joey, and he's just like him. We're in for some interesting years. There's just enough of me there, that it's really shaping up to be… a unique experience."

"I believe it." Vicki turned her wine glass in her hand. "You won't be able to relax again until he's about nineteen. Charlie…" She shook her head. "He is just like his father. I think back to every time Andy told me, _oh leave him alone, he__'__s just a boy_, and I want to reach out and smack him!"

"Yes!" Sharon leaned forward. "I walked in the other day, and Joey had upended his entire toy box in the living room. Every toy, every block, all of it spread out all over my floor. The cushions were off the sofa and two of the arm chairs, throw pillows, blankets, you name it." She tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder and huffed. "_Who_ is in the floor in the big middle of it with him?"

"They're like children!" Vicki said. "Jeff completely destroyed our dining room to build a fort around the table with Mark's boys. Then an hour before we're supposed to have dinner with Nicole, Mark, _and _his parents, I'm running through the house trying to put everything back together again… while Jeff is still playing with the kids!"

"Oh, that's nothing." Sharon smirked. "Our teenager was helping them destroy the house." She sniffed. "We won't even get into the part where the furniture wasn't exactly sitting where I left it that morning. I just went upstairs and ran a bath. It took them an hour to figure out that I was even home. It's like having three kids sometimes. Let's not even discuss the laser tag in the house. I lost a vase to that."

Vicki started laughing. "Oh, I can imagine. Jeff, Charlie, Mark, his boys and one very rainy weekend. Should I go into anymore detail?"

"No, I think I can imagine." Sharon shook her head. "Andy, Charlie, and Rusty putting up the sandbox in the backyard for Joey. I've never been so thankful for hardwood floors… but I'm still sweeping up the sand they tracked in. Oh, and my azaleas? No, they're gone."

"Oh no." Vicki giggled. She was trying to imagine and it just made her laugh that much harder. "Of course, they couldn't not let the baby help…"

"Of course." Sharon nodded. "Their next project is painting the walls in Rusty's room." She took a deep breath. "They've moved everything out and he's sleeping in the guest room now, and if it were Andy by himself, I think that I could trust the situation. It's the combination of Andy and Charlie, or Andy, Charlie and Rusty that terrifies me." She waved a hand, "Don't get me wrong, I love that they're spending more time together, and that they've reconnected on that level, and I absolutely adore that they include Rusty whenever possible, but…"

"One Flynn alone is fine," Vicki said with a nod. "Two is pushing it…" She giggled. "Add in an already impressionable and stubborn teenager, and you have a recipe for a lot of trouble." She shook her head. "Now let's add in the third and youngest Flynn…"

Sharon groaned. She covered her face with her hands. "I'm not even sure that I can take it. I think a weekend at a spa would not be remiss."

"That's not a bad idea." Vicki sat straight suddenly. She reached into her purse for her phone and began making notes. "When is Emily flying in for the wedding? Nicole has been trying to think of something that she could organize for all of us for that weekend, and her future mother-in-law too. I think this is perfect."

Sharon leaned forward. "She's coming in the Thursday before so that she can be here for all of the festivities. What are you thinking?"

"The four of us and Mark's mother, Susan, at a spa for the day." She smiled widely as she put in the details and then sent the text to Nicole. "Massages, body wrap, a steam. Oh it will be wonderful."

"I approve," Sharon decided. "If I happen to instruct a certain husband of mine to get Rusty's room finished that weekend, or else, so be it!"

"Excellent." Vicki nodded. "One of us will send you a copy of the itinerary for the day…" She looked up, eyes sparkling. "Then we'll send Andy the bill."

"Oh god." Sharon leaned back with a moan. "You are evil," she said, "and you must be destroyed."

"Yes." She smiled widely. "Indeed I am!" Vicki laughed as she put her phone aside. "Don't worry, I won't mail the bill this time. I'll hand him the itemized statement myself. I want to see the look on his face."

Sharon covered her face with her hand and groaned again. "You do know that there's something a little disturbing about how much enjoyment you get out of riling him up, don't you?"

"Maybe." Vicki shrugged. "But just think of the fun you'll have calming him down later," she smirked knowingly.

"Hm." Sharon dropped her hand. Her lips pursed. "Yes…" A brow arched and a smile slowly curved her lips. "There could be an oil of some kind involved."

Vicki snorted a laugh. "Now who's being bad? Now, now, this is no time for schoolgirl fantasies," she teased.

Sharon leaned back with her wine glass again. "Who said anything about a fantasy?" She smirked evilly as she took a drink. "You do still owe me a night of babysitting, remember?"

It was Vicki's turn to groan. "I walked right into that one." She shook her head. "Leave it to Andy to find one even worse than I am."

She hummed as she shrugged. "That's okay, he isn't complaining." Sharon's eyes glittered. "Now, about that spa… don't forget the mud soak." It would cost a small fortune, but it was going to be worth it.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

It was late when Andy trudged into the house that night. After a late night, or rather early morning, spent dealing with that idiot Raydor, there was not a part of his body that didn't ache wearily. He made his way up the stairs, wanting to change before he did anything else. It had been a hell of a day, from beginning to end, and it was one that he wanted to forget.

In the bedroom that he shared with his wife, he shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it on the chair in a corner of the room. When he toed out of his shoes, he kicked them toward the closet, and didn't bother paying attention to whether they made it _in_ to the closet or not. The rest of his clothes followed. Andy tossed his things toward the hamper, and if they landed in the floor instead, he didn't care. He traded his suit for a plain, white t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants.

Andy called earlier and told Sharon not to wait dinner on him. He grabbed something with his team instead. The greasy cheese pizza was weighing heavily on his stomach. Andy sighed as he walked across the hall. The door was open and the light was on. The closed baby gate at the top of the stairs had told Andy where he would find his son. He smirked as he stepped into the room. Joey was trying to tackle his mother sideways while she knelt in front of the crib, changing out the side rail for the shorter ones which would convert it into a toddler bed.

"I thought we were going to wait on that?" Andy strolled over and took the allen wrench out of her hand.

She shot a look up at him, but wrapped an arm around Joey who was clinging to her neck. She pulled her son around and shifted to the side, making room for Andy. "We were." Sharon shrugged. "But then your son decided to climb out of his crib and almost fell on his head. I heard him yelling and came in just as he let go…" Sharon sighed. He'd given her a heart attack with that one. Joey had landed on his diapered bottom on the thick, plush rug beneath the crib, and while it scared him, he wasn't hurt. "Ricky was horrible about it too at this age. He ended up with a golfball sized bump on his head. You said you'd be late, and I didn't want to leave him alone in here without converting the bed." Even with her arm wrapped around him, holding him against her side, Joey was trying to tackle her toward the floor. Sharon sighed. "Joseph, please."

He pouted at her. "Momma…" He fluttered his lashes over deep, brown eyes and poked his bottom lip out.

Sharon stared back at him. Finally, her shoulders slumped. That was not a look that she could resist. She wrapped an arm around him and tugged him into her lap. She turned her face into his neck and let her fingers move over his ribs. Joey squealed and kicked, he laughed and cackled, and wriggled around trying to get free. "Oh no," she drawled, "you wanted to play…"

Andy winced at a particularly shrill screech that left his son's mouth. He shook his head as he finished loosening the side rail on the crib and took it off. Sharon had already taken the smaller, toddler bed rails out of the closet and had them leaning nearby. Andy made the switch. It was much easier converting the bed than it had been originally putting it up, although that night was a favorite memory of his. To think, he hadn't even kissed her yet, and here they were, two years later. He watched, from the corner of his eye, as Sharon went down under Joey's weight. The boy was solid, and tall for his age. He was also devious. Andy laughed. Joey had used his feet against the edge of the crib to push them backward. "Careful son, that one gets even. She's little, but she's mean."

"Ouch." Sharon reached back and rubbed her head. She kept one arm around Joey, even as he wriggled around to sit on her. When he started bouncing, she groaned. "You know, you're not supposed to beat up on the girls. Go beat up on dad. He's just dying for you to climb on his back, little monkey."

"Dad is fixing his bed." Andy held the short toddler rail that attached to the foot of the crib with one hand while he tightened the screws with the other. "Joey, how about you go find Rusty? I bet he'd love to play." He was pretty sure the kid was still in his room, where he had been when Andy came up the stairs.

Joey thought about that for a moment. Then he grinned widely. He left the room at a trot. "Russy!"

"Oh thank you." Sharon sat up slowly with a groan. She adored that child, but he was full of energy tonight and she was too exhausted to indulge him. She was sure she felt much as Andy did, considering the morning they'd had. She rolled her shoulders and then she sighed. Sharon moved around to Andy's other side to hold the second toddler rail while he tightened it. "Your husband-in-law came by the office this afternoon."

"Shit." Andy slanted a glare at her. "You know, if you and Vicki want to have your little jokes, that's fine. I'm sure as hell not getting involved, especially where it concerns that son of a bitch, Jackson."

"I know." Sharon reached out and lay a hand on his arm. She stroked down its length and shook her head. "I'm really trying to keep from losing it, myself, Andy. Do you think I want him hanging around town again? He's worn out his welcome with everyone that he knows, and now he's conveniently chosen to forget that he doesn't have me to fall back on anymore. This is Jack's MO. When he has no where else to go, he comes crawling back to me." When he finished tightening the last rail, Sharon stood and reached for the crib rail, to move it out of the room. "This time, I've moved on."

"Does he not realize that all I've got to do is call Howard and his ass is—"

"No." Sharon turned. "Andy…" She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "I understand why you did that when you did. It worked, and you protected Joey and I, but that's it. It ends there. What kind of example are we setting if we keep threatening Jack out of our lives? I can't be responsible for putting up the barrier between him and our kids, and I can't have you doing it either. When Emily and Ricky look back on their lives, when they think about how much or how little their father was around, I won't have them questioning whether or not we played a roll in keeping him away from them."

"Yeah?" Andy folded his arms across his chest. "Where does Joey come in to play? What about when Jack starts asking, again, for the paternity test that we stopped him from demanding the last time? Have you thought about that? While you're so damned busy trying to protect his relationship with your _grown_ children, what about the one that has no idea who Jack is and can't protect himself? Given any thought, at all, to that?"

He was spoiling for a fight. She could see it in the tremor that worked it's way through him, the bunching of the muscles beneath his t-shirt. It was in the tick of the muscle in his jaw. Sharon turned away from him. She lifted the crib rail and left the nursery with it. She wasn't in a mood to indulge him, and certainly not where the kids could hear them. If, or when, he chose to discuss it, that would be fine.

Andy watched her go and sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a moment to let the frustration and anger roll through him. Getting pulled out of bed at three in the morning because your wife's ex-husband is beating on the front door wasn't a great way to start the day. It hadn't exactly put him in a great mood. Jack's return had only managed to bring back a lot of memories from the days leading up to his eventual departure. Not the good memories either.

All he could think of was Sharon, stressed out and facing the possibility of bedrest, hurt by Jack's insistence on taking half her worth in the divorce, and his complete disregard for a child that they had created together. Sure, that had just worked out for Andy in the end, but gaining a wife and son because some creep had tossed them aside wasn't really his idea of a great way to do things. If he could have spared her all of that, he would have. He had no doubt that Sharon loved him, and that they were solid.

The issue was Jack, and his reason for being back in town. He was up to something, and Andy knew he wouldn't feel at ease again until they were seeing the back side of him once more.

Sharon carried the crib rail down the hall. She paused near the stairs to glance into the guest room that Rusty was occupying, the room that used to be Ricky's, while he waited for the walls in his to be painted. He was playing a game on his laptop while Joey watched.

Sharon almost smiled. Had she been in a better mood, she might have. The corners of her mouth twitched, and a warmth filled her at the scene. The pair of them were leaning against pillows, propped against the headboard, legs crossed at their ankles while they watched the screen of the laptop. She sighed as she flipped the latch on the gate and started down the stairs with the crib rail. When it was lifted out of her hands, she glanced back, brows lifting in surprise.

"I think I can manage," she stated simply.

"Sure you can." Andy moved down the stairs with it, maneuvering it more easily than she had. "Just like you could put it together by yourself."

Her eyes narrowed. Sharon reached back and closed the gate behind them. She followed him down the stairs. "You know, I could have put that nursery together. I just felt bad because you had no where else to go. You were hanging around here looking all sad and…" When he looked back at her, dark eyes burning, she just smiled sweetly at him. "Yes?" She asked, drawing out the syllable.

Andy took the crib rail into the kitchen, and the utility room behind it. There was a door there that led down to the basement. "For the record," He called behind him, while he leaned it against a wall in the basement, "there's no way in hell you were ever going to get that crib put together by yourself." When he came back upstairs, he secured the basement door. They had installed a latch, so that Joey couldn't open it. "Especially with those French instructions. Or did you learn a second language while I wasn't looking?"

She made a face at him. "There's no reason to be insulting. As to second languages, I went to Catholic school honey. Latin is a required course." She folded her arms over her chest and smirked at him.

"Figures." Andy snorted at her. He leaned against a counter, crossed his legs at his ankles and stared at her. They were standing on opposite ends of the kitchen, watching one another. "Jack wants something."

"Yes," she acknowledged. "He always wants something. He never comes back without a reason. Money, probably. Definitely. He's back on the court appointed list. That means he's planning on hanging around for a while, at least that is what he wants me to believe. He doesn't give a damn about Joey, he never did. Yes, he might use that as leverage to get a response out of me, but it isn't going to do him any good. He's not going to risk a paternity test, Jack doesn't want to pay the child support." She sighed. "Of course I've thought about it, but I don't think of Joey in terms of Jack. I haven't for a very long time. Jack gave up any right he had to that baby when I told him that I was pregnant and he asked me _when_ I was planning to have an abortion, not _if_. He gave up his rights to Joey when he tried to take the house that he was going to grow up in, because Jack wanted the money. Andy, he gave up his rights to Joey when he believed that I would sleep around on him while we were still married…"

Andy held up a finger. "Technically, you did sleep around on him while you were still married." He smirked at her. The divorce had been filed, and she was already pregnant, but he had her on a technicality with that one.

She gave him a bland look and sighed. "Yes, I'm such a slut. You're the man-whore that started it." Sharon sniffed. "Or do I have to remind you what almost happened the night you put together the crib?"

The smug look on her face had him pushing away from the counter. He stalked toward her. "I remember. You know, I felt bad about that. It was the night that I told you that Jack was screwing around on you and drinking again." He pinned her in against the counter, his arms on either side of her as his hands gripped the edge of the granite surface. "I felt better when you jumped me a few weeks later."

"I did no…" Sharon stopped. Her lips pursed. "Actually, I did, didn't I?" She shrugged. "Well, you know what they say, some friends have the best benefits."

Andy rolled his eyes at her. "That was lame." He sighed. "You're still avoiding the issue. With Jack in town…"

"It doesn't affect us," Sharon said. "I'm done, we're divorced. I've moved on, and I have an entirely new life now. He's choosing to ignore that, and there's nothing I can do about it. That doesn't mean that I have any intention in engaging him on _any _level. I know that he bothers you, and I know that you're angry. I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of him being back either, but I'm not going to run him out of town. Jack will leave when he is of a mind to, and it will probably be very soon. He hasn't even asked about Joey, Andy. He doesn't care. He wants no part of it, and in case you've forgotten, that suits me perfectly." Sharon slid her hands up his sides. "Jack got me pregnant, and sadly, at no point during any of those three instances did he become a father."

He settled his hands against her shoulders and slowly stroked his hands up and down her arms. "I guess it was just easy to forget, while he was gone, that…" Andy ground his teeth together. He sighed. "While Jack wasn't here, we were able to push it aside and ignore the obvious. That's easy to do, when no one else is in the picture, and everyone thinks that he's just like me. But Joey… he's not mine, Sharon. If Jack pushes, if he forces the issue, there's not a lot that we can do. We're right back where we were when you were pregnant."

"I don't think so." Her hands continued to stroke his sides. "I just don't think that he will, and even if he does… it doesn't matter. Andy…" Sharon shook her head. "In the only way that matters, Joey is yours. Jack doesn't want him, he never did, and Joey is never going to know the difference. Yes, one day we're going to tell him the truth, but it isn't going to matter then either. You were here. You put together the nursery, and you took care of me. You stayed with Joey when he was born, and yours was the first voice that he heard in this world. And _yes_…" She laughed. "He _is_ just like you. Jack is going to go away again, and the only thing that Joey will ever know about him is that he's just some guy who talks too loud, and makes his mom and dad unhappy. That's it. That's all he ever needs to know."

He lifted a lock of her hair and wound it around his finger. "I'm not worried about losing Joey," he rumbled quietly. "I'm worried about hurting him. Jack has managed to hurt all of you, doing exactly what he's doing right now. He wants to push you into a corner to get what he wants, and he knows that your kids are your weakness."

"Yes," she agreed. Sharon knew herself well enough to know that he was correct in that. "The thing is, Jack also knows that if there is one way that he can tempt me into hurting him back, it's by coming at me through my kids. Even when we were in the middle of the divorce he was trying to hit me financially. Joey was only a means to that end, and it didn't work. It backfired on him. He never counted on you. I've already put him on notice. He does not want this fight. He wants me to feel sorry for him, and in the past, that would have worked. I'm beyond that now. He's burned his last bridge with me. I do hope that some day he can be the father than Ricky and Emily need, the one that they deserve to have, but that's it. That's as far as it goes. Joey already has a father, and he's standing right here."

His hands cupped her face. "I know." It was not his position with her or Joey that he doubted. It was Jack's intentions and his ability to keep him from hurting her again. Jack would hurt her, just by attempting to come at Joey, because protecting her children was something that Sharon would do at the expense of all else, even herself. "We can do this your way, for now. If he comes at you through Joey then… all bets are off, okay? 'Cause you're right, he is mine. I'll never think otherwise. Deep down, there's a part of Jack that knows the truth. When he gets ready to exploit that, he'll deal with me."

Sharon exhaled quietly. She could try to be logical about it, but it wasn't a situation that was overly filled with logic to begin with. "If it happens, then yes… how you protect _your_ son is up to you. I'll still hope for the best. I really don't think he'll be an issue. He didn't get his way this afternoon. Historically, that means Jack is in the wind."

Andy didn't think that Jack was going to give up quite that easily. He was an addict, a manipulator. Jack wasn't going to go to the trouble of coming back to LA and darkening his ex-wife's doorstep without getting something in return, not with the leverage that they had used to get him to leave. They hadn't seen the last of him yet, Andy was certain of that. "I hope you're right," he said. "I just don't think that you are."

"Let's not borrow trouble tonight," she said. "I just want to put Joey to bed and then find a corner to collapse in." It had proved to be a long day for both of them.

"I can deal with that." He kissed the top of her head. "You get the kid, I'll make sure we're locked up down here."

"Hm." Her lips curved. "That sounded surprisingly like an order. You're getting better at the subtle bossiness. I'm so proud of you."

His brows lifted. Andy inclined his head to one side and stared at her. "Sharon."

She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth to fight a smile, but her eyes were sparkling. She fluttered her lashes at him, and tapped a finger against her upper lip. "My troublesome Lieutenant is all grown up," she simpered, "I think I might cry…"

His eyes narrowed. Andy stepped back and waved a hand toward the kitchen door. "I'm going to count to five," he stated simply.

"Of course," Sharon said, "that same Lieutenant may be getting too big for his britches…" She started toward the door, moving serenely toward the family room.

Andy rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed. "I tried," he said, before he turned on his heel and started after her. "Woman, you would tempt the patience of a saint."

"Good thing you're not one…" She glanced back at him and dodged the sofa to hurry for the stairs before he could catch her, laughing as she went.

Rusty and Joey both looked up at the sound of laughter ringing through the hall. The teenager shook his head. He looked down at the boy beside him. "This is why I'm still here," he said. "You need me. Someone in this house has to be normal."

Joey nodded, as though he understood. "Yeah."

His eyes went immediately back to the game on the laptop. Rusty suppressed a smirk. He'd figure out soon enough just how weird his parents were. Although… weird wasn't always a bad thing. Rusty glanced toward his open door at another loud peel of laughter. Nope, not bad at all.


	35. Chapter 35

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** If I haven't said it, you all are amazing. Thank you so much for sticking with this! I know it seems like a lot... I just have to get this one out of my system! Much love for you all!

**Chapter 34**

Nicole was invited to dinner later in the week. She arrived promptly that Friday evening, bringing with her the Cheesecake that she knew her stepmother was partial to for dessert. Dinner itself was a casual and enjoyable affair. Afterward, while the table was being cleared, Nicole sighed when Sharon cast a very pointed look at her as she rose to take Joey from the table.

"I'm going to take this one upstairs for his bath." Sharon wiped the two-year-old's hands and mouth with a napkin before she lifted him onto her hip. "We'll be back before bedtime." She was, as she told Vicki, facilitating the meeting, but she was not getting involved in that conversation. With Rusty having dinner with his friend Kris and her family, it was the perfect opportunity for Nicole to make her request, or drop her bomb, it all depended on how one viewed the situation.

As her stepmother left, Nicole watched her dad move back and forth between the dining room and kitchen, clearing the table. "I'll help." She lifted plates and followed him into the kitchen with them. "He's gotten so big," Nicole said, meaning Joey. "I swear I just saw him a couple of weeks ago, but he's grown a whole inch."

Probably not quite that much, but the boy was growing pretty fast. Andy chuckled. "He's a weed." He scraped off the plates as she brought them to him. "Remember those pictures I took after he was born? Hard to believe it's the same kid, yeah?" He was so little then, barely over four pounds and surrounded by wires and tubes in his incubator.

"I know." Nicole laughed as she returned with the last of the dishes. "He seemed so tiny the first time I saw him, and that was months later." She moved to lean against the counter nearby, watching as her dad rinsed the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. She thought back to that and shook her head. "I'm really sorry that I wasn't there. Being a jealous cow is no excuse."

"That was a long time ago, Nic." Andy glanced over at her and shrugged. "You're here now. That's all Joey knows. There were plenty of mistakes to go around."

"Maybe." Nicole clasped her hands in front of her. "I guess all I really missed were a few dozen diapers." She smiled brightly and tipped her head to the side. She watched him dump a half empty glass of wine without a second look at it before rinsing the wine glass and placing it on the top rack of the washer. Nicole reflected that there was a time that she would have worried about that, and the wine bottle in the fridge. Those days were well and truly behind them, however, and she thought little of it now.

Andy watched his daughter fidget and shook his head. "Alright, what's up kid? You've been practically dancing around all night." He placed another glass in the dishwasher and then turned to watch her, a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder. "Come on," he said, when she only cast a surprised look at him. "You think I don't know when something is up with you?" He grinned crookedly at her. "Sharon put this together, and Joey's bath could have waited a little while, so spill. What are the two of you cooking up?"

Nicole laughed. "Busted." She folded her arms over her chest and sighed quietly. "We're not cooking anything up. But I did want to talk to you. Sharon just… stopped my procrastinating by providing an opportunity so I couldn't put it off anymore." She took a moment to steel herself toward what she needed to say, and then nodded to herself before she pushed away from the counter to face him. "It's about the wedding. I've been thinking about some things, and… Dad, you know that I love you, but… Jeff has been an important part of my life too." She chewed on the corner of her lip. Nicole's hands dropped, she stared at them as she picked nervously at her nails. At this rate, her manicure was never going to make it to the wedding. "I want him to walk me down the aisle," she said in a rush, "with you. Both of you. Together."

He wasn't sure that he'd heard her right. A confused frown drew his brows together. Andy studied his daughter for a moment, and then when she looked up at him, nervous and fidgeting, he got it. He understood what she was saying. It was a little bit like being kicked in the gut. The air left his lungs in a rush as he turned away from her, and it came out sounding something like a sigh. Andy pulled the dishtowel off his shoulder and let it drop to the counter. He closed the dishwasher as he shrugged. "That's fine," he managed to say, before his throat closed up completely.

What else could he say? His little girl wanted someone else to walk her down the aisle on her big day. Sure, she phrased it as though she wanted both of them there, but how else was she going to suggest that? It was pretty damned obvious, she couldn't ask her stepdad to walk her down the aisle without raising a hell of a lot of questions, so just make it the two of them. Yeah, whatever.

When Andy turned away from the sink, Nicole was still staring at him, looking expectant and just… waiting. He shrugged. "It's your day, Nic." It was hard to speak at all, but Andy thought he did pretty well, sounding only mildly strained, at least to his ears. "We already told you. Your wedding, whatever you want." He was just paying for the damned thing.

"Dad." Nicole's shoulders slumped. She followed him with her eyes as he moved around the kitchen. "I would just feel bad leaving Jeff out, he's been there for me too." Seeing his reaction, she felt miserable about it, but when she pictured her wedding day, it was the two of them that she saw. Nicole looked down again and exhaled quietly, painfully. "You know," she said in a small voice, "he was there for me when you weren't. When you couldn't be. He did a lot of things that he didn't have to do."

"I said it was fine." Andy glanced at her and then looked away again. She was right, of course, there was a chunk of time in her childhood that he was missing from. That was no one's fault but his own. "You want Jeff there," he said roughly, "then he'll be there. Case closed."

Nicole ran a hand through her hair. "Then why do I feel like you're mad about this." Her hand slapped against her thigh when she let it drop. "Dad, it's not like I want him there _instead_ of you, I don't! I just want _both_ of you there with me." She stopped and shook her head. "Okay, I get it, this is not what you want to be hearing." She folded her arms across her chest again and shrugged. "What if I was Emily? What if she was the one getting married, and she wanted you to be with her on that day instead of that asshat who called her asking for money. What would you do then? I'm not cutting you out. But this family is pretty blended right now… and as much as I love Jeff too, I want to set an example for Mark's boys also. That just because I'm coming into their life doesn't mean they have to forget their real mother… that both parts of their family can be important, and recognized, and shared."

Andy leaned against the counter for a moment. He took a breath and let fill him before turned. He leaned back against the granite surface and watched his girl. Finally he shook his head. "When the hell did you kids grow up?" She had a point, and as much as he didn't like it, it wasn't one that he could ignore. Not when she put it in those terms. Theirs wasn't a traditional family, although by current standards, he figured it was pretty damned normal. He and Vicki had been divorced for a long time. She had married Jeff just a few years later, so he had been in Nicole and Charlie's lives since they were little. Adding Sharon and her kids to the mix was pretty new by comparison, but they had been married a couple of years now. Em and Rick might not live nearby, but they were fixtures.

"I'm not going to lie," he told her, "I don't like it. Hell, Nic… you don't know yet, because you aren't a parent, but it's not easy having to share your kids with someone else. I don't know if I can be as gracious about it as I should be. Look, I'll try, but you're going to have to give me a couple of days on this one, okay?"

"Well…" She nodded slowly. "You didn't throw anything, so on the upside, I think giving you a couple of days is doable." Nicole smirked. She had inherited his temper, it was something that she could understand. "I promise," she said, smile fading into one of warmth, "I want you there. This is not a thing. But I got lucky. I had two of you, and not everyone gets that."

Andy thought of the example that she had used. He considered the conversations that he and Sharon had recently, most of them centered around Jack's return to Los Angeles and his relationships, or lack thereof, with his own children. There was Rusty, abandoned by both of his parents and holding on to the only home that he had with both hands. Andy grunted quietly and nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'm hearing you." He walked over to put on the coffee that they would have with the cheesecake. "Just give me a couple of days to stew on it."

"I can do that." Nicole walked over and took the cheesecake out to place on the center island. When he handed her the desert plates, she leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "Love you, daddy."

"Yeah, I know…" Andy sighed. His daughter had his number. She always had. He shook his head and wrapped an arm around her. "I love you too, kid." He kissed the top of her head before he moved away again.

They worked in silence. Andy finished cleaning the kitchen while Nicole carried the coffee and cheesecake into the family room. When Sharon returned, she had had a freshly bathed Joey perched on her hip. She set him on his feet and let him run to his father. He was grinning widely, eyes sparkling, and dark hair already a tousled mess. The moment that he was in his father's arms, Joey wriggled down beside him in the recliner and giggled as he peeked out around his father's arm.

Andy arched a brow as he looked down at him. "What did you do?"

"Ah oh." Nicole fought a smile. She covered her mouth with her hand when her brother only laughed again. "I know that look." She shook her head. "That is all Flynn and he is up to no good."

"Hm." Sharon paused to pour herself a cup of coffee before she took a seat in the arm chair nearest the sofa, upon which Nicole was seated. "He is his father's son." She folded her legs and held her cup cradled in both hands. "Your son," she told her husband, "is an escape artist. We'll need to find a taller gate for the top of the stairs…"

"First the crib and now the gate." Andy stared down at his son. "Scaring your ma like that, not a good idea, son." He returned his son's smiling gaze, his face impassive, until Joey tucked his face against his arm. "We'll talk about it later," he said.

"Aw." Nicole hid her pout behind her coffee cup. "Charlie did that. He used to climb everything. Until the time he busted his chin climbing a bookshelf in the living room."

"Don't remind me." Andy sighed. "Four stitches," he told Sharon. "That little scar, right here," he pointed to the spot on his own chin. "He stopped climbing for a while after that, but it wasn't how we wanted to get it across to him."

Sharon groaned at the thought. "Ricky did it too, but to be honest, it was Emily that was the worst. I could not turn my back for a second that she wasn't on the table, or the counters. I came home once, and she was on the fridge." She pointed at Nicole, "You absolutely have my permission to tease her about that one. To this day, I still have no idea how she ended up on that. I can't even blame Jack for that one. He was busy feeding Ricky, and that child… I used to think that we'd be lucky if Emily survived until elementary school, and with good reason. Naturally, it was Ricky that busted his head climbing out of his crib, my little ballerina, not a single bruise."

"Don't look at me." Nicole smirked when her father slanted a look at her. "I was the good one."

"Of course she was." Andy hooked a thumb at his daughter. "Snuck out, took the car, and then wrecked it." He shook his head. "I get a call in the middle of the night and it's this one, calling me because she's terrified about having to explain to her mother that not only did she take the car without permission, but she totaled it."

Nicole giggled. "It's not funny, but looking back… I was lucky. After dad made sure that I was okay, just a little bruised… my ears ring even now just thinking about it. To that day I couldn't think of a single time he'd so much as _thought_ about yelling at one of us. That was several years ago now, so we were still big on the whole _making amends_ thing, but I definitely got it that night. If I thought dad was the safer option, I was mistaken. Mom grounded me for the rest of the summer, but she was a kitten by comparison."

"Well that settles it." Sharon unfolded from the chair. She walked over to retrieve one of the small dessert plates, upon which a slice of cheesecake awaited. "Rusty is the good one." She smirked at her husband's snort. "No, I mean it. Remember the old porch? That step that was constantly coming loose? Hm." She sat down with her cake and licked at her spoon. "It was also noisy. I caught Ricky trying to sneak his girlfriend in. At one in the morning. It was apparently not the first time."

"Oh that's nothing." Nicole waved a hand through the air. "Charlie and I did that."

Andy, who had been chuckling quietly while sharing his cake with Joey suddenly looked up. His head snapped around toward his daughter. "I beg your pardon."

Nicole rolled her eyes at him. "Oh daddy please. I never snuck him into your house. You were armed."

Sharon snorted a laugh. She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth as she giggled. "They are rotten, rotten children, all of them."

"You know," Andy sighed. "He stays up all night playing chess and watching movies on his computer. Rusty _is_ the good one," he agreed.

"Oh Joey, I feel sorry for you." Nicole left the sofa to scoop him into her arms. She lifted him high until he squealed. "There is nothing that we haven't done that you will ever be able to get away with. Oh, and they're _both_ armed, so good luck with that. Sorry little brother, but I think you're in for it." When she reclaimed her seat on the sofa, she settled Joey on her lap. "We really should put him in the wedding," she said. "Mark's boys are doing it. I bet he'd be fine."

"He's awfully young for that Nicole." Sharon shook her head. She was sure that Joey would have a good time, he was such a little ham when it came to getting attention, but she couldn't imagine keeping a two-year-old on task during a wedding ceremony.

"Oh please?" Nicole pouted at her. "He would be so cute in a little tux. Or even just a little, three-piece suit. Something in gray maybe." She turned Joey on her lap so that he was facing his mother and settled her chin against his shoulder. She continued to pout at Sharon and urged him to do the same. "Please?"

When Nicole nudged him, Joey turned his lips down into a pout. "Pease momma?"

Sharon groaned. She covered her face with her hand. "I am the pushover," she muttered.

"You are." Andy smirked.

"Oh alright," Sharon sighed. "But I am not responsible for any disruptions which take place during your wedding. He's only two, Nicole. This might not go as well as you planned…but he would be cute," she agreed.

"Yay!" Nicole held up her hand to Joey for a high-five. "Way to go, little brother. I'll have you scamming dad next. He's easy once you figure him out. For now, we'll stick with your mom. She's easy and she's got his number. It's all good."

Andy barked a quick laugh. "With the kids, maybe. I wouldn't assume that the rest of the time. Trust me." He smirked at his wife when she made a face at him. "What? You want everyone to think you're easy? I mean, I could always write it on the wall of the mens room at work…" Her eyes narrowed and he only continued to grin at her. "Not that anyone would believe me. Half the department still thinks that you and I are just some weird rumor that keeps circulating. Then there's the contingent down in Traffic that thinks you're secretly a man."

Sharon rolled her eyes at that. "I wonder why." She looked at Nicole. "_Someone_ spread that rumor a few years ago, and I'm pretty sure he's sitting right here."

"Oh no." Andy shook his head. "I said a lot of things about you over the years, but _that_ was never one of them. There was no way that legs like that would ever belong to a guy. I might have thought you were a witch, but I always knew you had great legs."

"Wow." Nicole laughed. "So romantic. Warms the heart, doesn't it?"

"Hm." Sharon shook her head at him. "It's the only thing on him that's going to be warm tonight. I really hope he enjoys sleeping in that chair."

Andy just continued to grin. That would never happen. He knew her too well. "Nah," he shrugged. "Joey will let me crash in his room, won't you son?"

The boy looked between his parents. Then he wiggled down and moved over to climb into his mother's lap. Sharon flashed a knowing smirk at her husband when Joey lay his head on her shoulder and sighed. "Momma, story?"

"And that, my darling, is that." Sharon stood with Joey in her arms and made the short circle of the room so that he could say goodnight. She stopped beside Andy's recliner last and leaned down so that Joey could get the required goodnight hug.

"Night son." Andy kissed the top of his head. "Ask for two stories, she's good for it."

"I should be going too." Nicole stood up. "I need to call Mark before it gets too late."

"I'll walk you out." Andy pushed out of his chair and dropped an arm around her shoulders when she joined him.

"Goodnight Sharon. Night Joey," she waved again at the little boy.

"Call me," Sharon told her. "When you have the details together for the spa trip. Or just text them to Emily and I."

"Spa trip?" Andy's brows climbed toward his hairline. "Do I want to know?"

"Probably not." Nicole laughed as she walked with him toward the door. "Let's just say that you left Mom and Sharon alone, and there was wine involved."

He groaned. It was going to end up costing him a fortune, he knew. Not to mention what they would probably come up with next, given they would be together with Nicole and Emily. "There's something really wrong with your wife and ex-wife conspiring together."

"Probably." Nicole smirked at him. "I wouldn't tell _them_ that. You know, conspiring is one thing. Teaming up against you, I'd avoid that." She laughed. "Right now, Sharon is still on _your_ side. More or less."

Andy chuckled quietly. "Yes and I'd like to keep it that way." He shook his head. "I'm actually more worried about what it's going to cost me."

Nicole snorted and pushed him away from her. "You are so bad."

"Hey, have you met my wife?" Andy waved a hand back toward the inside of the house as they stepped out onto the porch. "She's got a 600 dollar shoe habit, and now she's hanging out with your mother, who also has a 600 dollar shoe habit. That's a dangerous combination, kid."

"Yes." Nicole grinned. "Especially when you factor in a daughter that also has an expensive shoe habit. But I would be more worried about the stepdaughter that likes her Fendi bags."

"Oh hell." Andy ran a hand through his hair. "She is her mother's daughter." He walked Nicole down the porch steps and toward her car.

Nicole laughed as she nudged him. "You love it."

"Shh." He grinned. "Don't tell anyone." When they reached the car, he pulled the door open for her. "Be careful going home, kid. Next time, maybe you'll actually bring Mark. If a guy is going to marry my girl he could at least drop by for a meal. I'm not going to shoot him. Probably."

"I'll tell him." Nicole laughed again. "Next time, Mark will come along. We'll put something together soon. The boys love hanging out." She looked up at him, eyes sparkling playfully. "I'm teaching them to call you Grandpa."

Andy groaned again. "Get out of here, troublemaker." He shoved his hands into his pockets and took a step back from the car. Nicole was still laughing as she slid in behind the steering wheel. She tossed a wave at him as she started the car and put it in gear. He watched her back out of the driveway and watched the car until it made the turn at the end of the lane. Only then did the smile that he was wearing fade. Andy sighed as he turned. He walked back into the house and cleared away the remnants of their dessert and coffee.

Once the last of the dishes were finally done, Andy walked out onto the back porch. Sharon was still upstairs with Joey, probably only halfway through the first story if he knew his son. Joey would be full of questions and curiosity. He would point at every picture and want every detail. He got that from his mother. It wasn't really his son, however, that he was thinking about as he leaned against the wooden porch rail.

With his hands braced against the rail, Andy let his shoulders slump. When a man thought about walking his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day, he didn't often imagine someone else joining them. Her mother, perhaps, depending on the relationship. Andy felt like he could have dealt with that. He wasn't so old school that he couldn't share that moment with Vicki. Sharing it with a stepparent? No, that was the last thing he pictured for Nicole's wedding day.

He could see the reason in it, the logic. He sure as hell didn't have to like it, though. Sharon kept reminding him that the wedding wasn't about them, but about Nicole and Mark and the life they were trying to build. There was still a part of him that was angry about it, and it was that part that wanted to hand over his American Express card and just be done with it. He wouldn't do it, he'd come too far with Nicole, and with Charlie. It was her day, and yeah he wanted to be there with her, but damn if he didn't want to have to think about the other guy.

Andy stood there for a while before he felt movement behind him. He cast a glance over his shoulder when the back door closed. "He go down okay?"

"He was out before we made it through the first story." Sharon moved behind him and leaned against his back. She wrapped a hand around his arm, the other she settled against his waist. She pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades.

"You already know?" He lay a hand against hers at his side and pulled her arm around him.

"Yes." Sharon's other hand stroked up and down his arm. "Vicki told me when we had lunch the other day. I told her I wasn't getting involved, but I would arrange for Nicole to talk to you." She hummed quietly as she leaned into his back. "I'm sorry. I know it isn't want you wanted to hear. I know it isn't going to be easy."

"Yeah well," he rumbled quietly. "It's not about me, right?" Andy sighed. "It doesn't really matter. We'll walk her down the aisle, stand there for a couple of minutes, and then it'll be over."

"_Andy_…" She could hear the hurt in his tone. Sharon moved around beside him, slid underneath his arm and wrapped both of her arms around his waist. "It matters. Of course it matters. You are still her father. You are still the first one that she wanted, even if you aren't the _only_ one. Nicole loves you," she told him. "As badly as she wants her wedding to be perfect, and for her having the two men in her life that raised her would be perfect, she didn't want to hurt you with it. That was the first thing on her mind. This is important to her, but so are you. She is still your little girl."

"I had to share every major moment of her life with that guy," Andy admitted. "I didn't think this would be one of them." He smiled down at his wife, the expression a little rueful. "I was just thinking that even if it only lasted a couple of minutes, this was the one time, the one moment when she was just mine."

"I know." She said quietly. "She's still yours," Sharon said. "The moment may not be, but Nicole is." She smiled up at him. "She has spent the last few weeks worrying about this. Not saying anything, and just hoping that there was a way that she could make it all work without having to hurt anyone. Who does that sound like?" Sharon leaned up and kissed the tip of his chin. "It's going to be a beautiful wedding," she said. "Your daughter is going to appreciate everything you're doing to make it wonderful. Even sharing her with someone else."

"I know." Andy curled his arm around her shoulders. "I don't like it. I'll do it, but just the idea of it…"

"Yes." Sharon understood. "I wish that there was some way that I could make that easier for you. Instead, all I can say is that when she looks back on this day, all that she will remember is knowing that you loved her enough to help her make it special. In the meantime…" She reached up and lay her fingers against the curve of his jaw. "It really does suck."

"Yeah." He said quietly, "it kind of does." He gathered her closer and tucked his face against her neck. His lips brushed her skin. "It'll be okay." Eventually, at some point, he would really believe that. For the moment, she was making it better just by being there. Andy lifted his head and smiled down at her. "Come on, let's go wait up for the kid."

"Andy." Sharon shook her head at him. "They are friends. This is not a date. He's having dinner with her parents."

"Of course it's not a date." He rolled his eyes at her. "But we can still have a little fun!" Andy kept an arm around her as they walked inside. "I mean, let's face it, _she_ would like it to be a date, but that's not happening."

"No." She poked his side. "You are not going to have any fun with it. It's awkward enough as it is for Rusty. No fun." Sharon gave him a pointed look. "Unless you want _all_ of your fun completely tossed out the window."

Andy pouted at her. "You drive a hard bargain lady." He shook his head. "Okay, you got it. No fun. Zilch fun happening here." He arched a brow and slanted a look at her. "Can we fool around on the couch instead?"

"Hm." She hummed. A smile tugged at her lips. "Well, I could be talked in to it…"

"Talking wasn't exactly what I had in mind…" He smirked as he took her hand and led her over to the couch.

"Oh, I see…" Her eyes sparkled. "Sometimes, you have the best ideas."

"I'm having another one right now…" He dropped onto the couch and pulled her down on top of him.

When Rusty got home an hour later, he found them curled side by side on the sofa, fast asleep. He shook his head as he crept through the living room. He made sure that the alarm was set and all of the doors locked before he made his way upstairs. One day he'd remind them that they didn't have to always wait up for him to come home, but it was nice that they always did.

At the top of the stairs, Rusty took a seat. He gazed down into the living room. Anxiety churned in his stomach. Is this what he would lose? Would he no longer have a place to come home to, with people who were always waiting to make sure that he got there okay if Emma was able to send him away? She still wanted him gone, placed into another foster home or witness protection and it would happen if she knew everything. Maybe it would even happen if _they_ knew everything.

Rusty chewed nervously on the corner of his lip and rubbed his palms against his trouser clad legs. He should tell them. He knew that he should tell them everything, but the moment it was out there, Sharon would have to tell someone and that would be the end. His life would be over. He would be sent away. He might not even get to see them again. Part of him even worried that, maybe, when they knew... They wouldn't want him anymore.

He drew a thin, shuddering breath as he stood. Rusty walked into his bedroom and closed the door quietly behind him. No, he wouldn't tell anyone. He would continue to keep this secret. It didn't matter anyway. They were only letters. How could letters hurt anyone?


	36. Chapter 36

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 35<strong>

On the weekend of Nicole's wedding several festivities were planned. The rehearsal and dinner had taken place on Thursday evening, while the actual ceremony was planned for Saturday afternoon. Friday was put aside as a spa day for the ladies. Emily had arrived prior to the rehearsal and was joining her mother and stepsister for a full day of pampering at a local hotspot. Sharon and Andy had both arranged for the time off, and though it was tentative depending upon either of their teams getting a case that could not be handled without them, neither was anticipating having to miss the wedding.

Andy was spending that Friday with Joey. Rusty had gone to school as usual, dropped off by Sharon on her way to meet the others, and Andy would be picking him up. The rest of the day was being spent with his boy. They had done a few errands, picked up the dry cleaning and stopped by the market. The most significant activity of the day had come when they'd strolled past a pet shop. It was sponsoring an adoption drive for a local animal shelter. The moment that Joey had spotted a black and brown, floppy eared puppy of only eight-weeks-old, there was no turning him away from it.

It was love at first sight, for boy and dog. The pup was a little bull dog mix, American bull dog from the papers, although his build and coloring led the shelter attendants to believe that there was some doberman mixed in with it. The puppy, a male, was good natured enough, and stood on hind legs, tail wagging, and yapping happily to get their attention. He certainly managed to get Joey's.

Sharon was going to kill him. His only defense was going to be putting kid and dog in front of her and letting her see the cuteness for herself. While he ran for his vest.

They were at least fully equipped now. After getting the dog, he had at least gotten food and water bowls, puppy chow, some toys, and chew biscuits. Those probably wouldn't save their shoes, but it was worth a try. Oh yes, she was definitely going to kill him. Andy didn't really mind so much, especially as he sat watching Joey and the pup chase each other around the back yard. The dog was already half his size and had knocked him over a few times, but Joey would squeal and laugh and get right back up again. It was worth it.

It was even worth the odd look that he had gotten from the teenager when they picked him up from school. Dog and all. Rusty had agreed that Sharon was going to shoot him, but now he was tossing a ball while Joey and the dog chased it down. At least if he was going down it was in good company and for good reason. They were boys, they needed a dog, what was the harm in it?

Andy shook his head as he walked across the backyard carrying a shovel and a bag of potting soil. He had also stopped at the plant nursery and picked up the replacement azaleas for the corner of the flowerbed that they had destroyed putting in the sandbox. That might just get him out of hot water with the wife. Either way, he had promised to fix it, and he was doing that.

As he dug out that corner of the flower bed, Andy kept an eye on the boys. Rusty was pretty good at watching Joey, but the dog was new, and they were both distracted by it. He chuckled quietly as he listened to them. Rusty was trying out names for the dog and getting Joey to try and say them. It seemed the general theory there was that whichever one the kid could say, the dog would actually get. When the side gate opened, Andy didn't immediately turn. It was late afternoon and he half expected it to be his wife and her daughter, but the voice didn't belong to either of them.

Jack stood there for a few minutes without speaking. His eyes swept over the backyard. He spotted the teenager, the foster kid that he heard Sharon had taken in, first. Then he found the little one. The baby that Sharon told him was his, and then wasn't. His eyes narrowed as he watched the boy running around. He was big for a two-year-old, but Ricky had been too as he remembered. Jack studied him closely. With that mop of dark hair and the solid, sturdy build, he could have been looking at Ricky. The smile, and the laugh, those were all Sharon he realized. Much of his build had come from her side of the family, he looked a lot like her brothers. The face, however, the shape of it, the chin and the set of the eyes... Jack's teeth ground together. Yeah, he looked like Ricky alright, _too much_ like Ricky to be anything but _his_.

He spied the other guy too. The one that was supposed to be _his_ friend, his drinking buddy, and had ended up screwing around with his wife instead. He was working in the yard like he owned the place, and when the kid ran, squealing and laughing, and calling out for his _daddy_, it was Flynn that he ran to.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "That's an interesting turn of events," he said. "Don't know about you, bud, but I'm a little confused on the timing of it all. I mean, I could have sworn that Sharon said that kid was mine. But damn..." He shook his head. "She had to be sleeping with both of us if she really didn't know, and that just doesn't sound like her. Funny thing about all of it, though, I'd swear that kid looks a hell of a lot like the pictures I've got of me and my brother Grant when we were that age. Kind of like Ricky did, you know, the one that I _know_ is mine. Unless you want to tell me you were screwing around with her back then too?"

Andy lifted Joey into his arms. He felt the familiar tightening, the build of tension between his shoulder blades that made them ache. His blood pressure was beginning to rise, and after several weeks of keeping an eye on it and taking the damned pills the doctor had given him for it, Andy could recognize the feeling when it started. He held on to Joey and glanced at Rusty. "Hey, grab the dog before he realizes the gate is open, will you?"

"Sure." Rusty was looking between the two men, even as he walked over to retrieve the pup's leash from where it had been left on the porch. He called the puppy to him and clipped it to his collar. Rusty held on to it, but stayed near the porch, watching the two men.

"Jack, you got something to say, maybe it can wait." Andy stared hard at him. The temptation to put a fist in his mouth was still pretty strong, but with the boys present he could keep a leash on his temper. "Sharon isn't here right now, and we're not going to talk about this in front of my kids."

"Your kids?" Jack openly laughed at that. "Claiming a lot of things that aren't really yours, these days, aren't you Flynn?" His gaze moved to the other one, the teenager. "Pretty sure I heard Sharon was trying to put herself up for Officer of the year by taking in the little witness, I don't remember anyone saying anything about him actually _belonging_ to anyone. I mean, street kid, right? Not sure how that equates to yours, unless your past is finally catching up to you. Finally rolling in the muck with the rest of us lousy drunks, eh?"

"Rusty." Andy ignored him. "Take Joey inside." He walked over and shifted the toddler toward him. "Take the pup with you, just don't let him chew on anything."

"Yeah, okay..." Rusty was watching Sharon's ex warily. "Should I call anyone," he asked quietly.

"No." Andy watched him take Joey. "Just stay in the house. Got it covered." He stood back and shoved his hands into his pockets. He waited until Rusty disappeared inside the house before he strode slowly, purposefully toward Jackson. "Alright listen, we're going to have this conversation once. You want to talk to Sharon, you do that on your time. You don't do it on mine, and you don't do it when _our_ kids are here. You call her, you arrange a meeting, and you stay the hell away from my house." He watched the other man's eyes flash and smirked. "That's right. Mine. Both our names are on the title now, it's a little something that Sharon likes to call having a marriage. Something I know that you're a little confused about. Especially since yours is over."

"Someone is awfully defensive all of a sudden." Jack smirked at him. "Tell me something, do you and Sharon think I'm blind? He's got my chin. Looks like Ricky did at that age. I don't see any of you in him at all. Come to think of it, I don't remember you being around a whole lot when he would've been made. Actually, what I remember, well... I guess you know all about how Sharon can be now, don't you? Unless she's already gone cold. That happens, you know. It's all hot and fun in the beginning, but after a couple of months the new wears off and she gets bored. Especially when there's a kid around."

Andy inclined his head, but didn't deign to answer. Instead, he arched a brow. He shrugged. "I guess that's for me to worry about now, isn't it? As to Joey, well, you're welcome to find out if he's yours or not. I think you'll be a little disappointed in the answer. Doesn't really matter though, does it? You don't want him. You never did, and I'm not going to let you use him." He took another step forward so that he loomed over the other man. "See, I'm remembering another conversation that you and I had, the day he was born, and I'm thinking... you're not going to want to come anywhere near him again. You're not going to want to talk to him again. I'm pretty sure his Uncle Fritz feels the same way. What do you think?"

"I think..." Jack took a step back. He shrugged and tried to look nonchalant about it. "I think I'm going to sit back and watch you screw it up. It's what you do best, Flynn. It's only a matter of time." He wasn't getting the answers that he wanted. It was Sharon that he needed to talk to. He had a way with her, but maybe he'd do it when Flynn wasn't around. Especially if he was serious about getting that FBI agent involved again. That wasn't trouble that Jack needed.

"Maybe." Who knew what could happen. Andy would try like hell to make sure it didn't, but no one could predict the future. "In the meantime, my wife and our kids are no concern of yours. You want to talk, maybe call your own damned kids. For something other than money this time." He growled the last, and really if he were to beat the hell out of him, that would be reason enough. What kind of man called his own daughter for money? The one he was looking at, apparently.

"We'll see..." So Emily had told on him. Well, she was her mother's daughter. Jack strode toward the gate. "Tell Sharon I'll be calling her."

"Oh, believe me, I will." Andy watched him go. The hands that were shoved into his pockets were clenched into fists. They didn't relax until he heard a car engine start and then pull away. He let out a breath and it hissed between his clenched teeth. Andy shook his head. "Son of a bitch," he muttered. He walked over and closed the gate that Jack had left open. As he returned to his chore of repairing the flower bed, he stopped by the base of the porch steps. "You can come out now, Rusty." Andy knew that kid, he was waiting in the kitchen, listening for any sounds of trouble. He allowed a small smirk as the back door slowly opened.

The dog burst out first, and then Rusty moved into sight. He glanced around, still looking wary. He held onto one of Joey's hands as he crossed the porch. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Andy shrugged. "He's gone." He picked up his shovel again. "He never sticks around for long. That's the one thing about Jack we can always count on."

Rusty stepped down off the porch with Joey, then he let him go. The toddler was completely unaware of the tension still hovering over the yard. He went back to chasing and being _chased by_ the puppy. "What did he want?" The teenager asked carefully.

"I'm not really sure." Andy dug into the flower bed with a little more enthusiasm than was needed, but it was just as well. If he couldn't beat Jack with the shovel, he might as well take it out on the dirt. "It doesn't matter, he's gone now."

"Yeah but..." Rusty walked over and took a seat on the old, wooden picnic table. "What about all that stuff he was saying about Joey?" He squinted at Andy. "I mean, I thought..." It made it sound like Sharon and Andy had an affair, while she was still married, and that just didn't sound right. Not to him. Not with everything that he knew about them.

"Rusty." Andy sighed. He leaned against the shovel and looked at the boy. "It's kind of a long story. I'm not sure it's one you should hear."

"Isn't it better I hear it from you?" The teenager shrugged. "I mean, if it's going to come out eventually. He didn't sound like he was going anywhere anytime soon. Like, he would be back. I just..." Rusty glanced at his hands. "I feel like, if there's some weird family secret out there, maybe you should tell me now."

It was always harder when the kids used logic on them. Andy thought about it for a moment. Yeah, Sharon was going to kill him. His lips pursed for a moment, then he shook his head. "I adopted Joey. We told Jack he was mine. There's no way that he could be. Jack knows that, he knows on some level that Sharon was faithful to him. He left her while she was pregnant. She and I got together afterward, but before Joey was born. Ricky and Emily know the truth, so do Sharon's parents. Provenza and Agent Howard are in on it too, but that's it. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Joey is mine. In a way, he is. Jack didn't want him, but I did. That was all that mattered."

Rusty rubbed his hands against his jeans. So he could just choose that? Just like that? "But..." Rusty blinked a few times. "Why?" He didn't understand how someone could just make that choice and be okay with it. Most parents were busy ditching their kids. There weren't a lot of people going out of their way to choose to be parents to kids that weren't theirs.

Andy tugged the shovel out of the dirt. "Why not?" He shrugged again. "Rusty, sometimes when you love someone, the past doesn't matter. You want a future together anyway that you can get it. It really is a long story, maybe someday I'll tell you all of it, but right now... we'll just say that Sharon and I went through a lot. By the time that Joey was born and I made the decision to call him mine, a lot of things happened, and the way that it happened, well it just already felt like he was mine. That was it, we went from there."

He decided that maybe it was better to leave it at that. Rusty nodded slowly. "Okay. But no one else knows? Just those few people?"

"That's right." Andy said. "It's the way we want it. When he's old enough, we'll tell Joey the truth. Until then, none of that matters. He's still my kid. Whether he or anyone else knows or not. Got it?"

"I think so." Rusty figured he would have to wrap his mind around it, but it made an odd kind of sense. Especially some of the snippets of conversations he'd heard in the time that he lived with them. Some of it was really coming together in his head and making _a lot _of sense. Maybe they weren't so weird after all. "Are... uh, you going to tell Sharon that you told me? I can like, not tell anyone. If you don't want her to know-"

"We don't keep secrets, Rusty." Andy grinned at him. "I'll tell her. She'll probably shoot me, but I've got time to get my vest out of the car before then. It'll be fine."

Rusty snorted. He took it back. They _were_ weird. He shook his head, however, and sighed. "Yeah, but sometimes... secrets are necessary." He pushed off the table with that and walked across the yard to pick up the ball and toss it for the puppy.

Andy watched him with a frown. Something in his tone bothered him. He made a mental note to poke more at that later. In the meantime, the flowerbed wasn't going to fix itself... and Sharon would be home soon. He'd work out his frustration about Jack with the manual labor. Then he'd tell her about it, and what he discussed with Rusty... and maybe they'd talk about what kind of secrets Rusty was keeping that he thought were so necessary. Something about that just didn't bode well.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

When Sharon and Emily got home later that evening, they walked into a house that was not quite in the same condition that it was in that morning. There were toys littering the living room floor, and that was not quite an anomaly. It was the _kind_ of toys that were littering the floor that drew Sharon's attention. Along with the chewed throw pillows. There was fabric and stuffing spread all over the place.

Sharon picked carefully through the wreckage. When she reached the other side of the sofa, she cast a look at the individuals seated on the floor between it and the coffee table. The coffee table that had been pushed aside to make more room for playing. Her brows lifted. She pointed at the animal that was laying on its side between them. "_What_ is _that_?"

The lower inflection of the voice had Joey's head shooting up. He might be very young, but he knew that tone. They all did. Andy cast a look at Rusty, his brows rose. He shrugged at the teenager before he looked up at his wife. A crooked grin curved his face. "It's a dog. We've decided to name him No-No. What do you think?"

She cast a very pointed look at the two destroyed throw pillows. "Why is it in my house? You realize those are two hundred dollar pillows, right?"

Andy looked at Rusty again. He made a face. "Who the hell buys two hundred dollar throw pillows?"

While still holding the rope bone that the puppy was chewing on, Rusty pointed at Sharon. "She does." He was grunting and growling and rolling to and fro while trying to get it away from Rusty.

"Figures." Andy looked up at his wife again. Dinner was ready, had been for a little while. Sharon had called earlier to tell him that she and Emily were headed home, so they waited on them. While they were waiting, he and Rusty were keeping Joey and No-No, as the toddler was now calling him, occupied. That two throw pillows were sacrificed to the cause was unfortunate. The dog hadn't been upstairs yet, so really, it could have been a lot worse. Andy inclined his head and grinned at her. "He's Joey's puppy. He picked him out. The pet shop over in the market center was doing a sidewalk adoption drive. It was love at first sight. There was no separating them. What was I going to do?"

Her brows lifted again. She stared back at him. "You didn't think we should discuss this?" Sharon tossed a hand toward the mess. "You just made an executive decision to bring home a dog without asking me about it?" She tossed her purse into one of the arm chairs and glared at him. "Andy, really!"

"Quick." Andy poked his son. "Assume the position."

Joey grinned widely. He lay down against the puppy's side and hugged his neck. Then he looked up at his mother and smiled sweetly. "Momma pease?"

She rolled her eyes at her husband. "That was low." She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. "It's not working."

"It's working on me." Emily knelt down beside them. She ran a hand over the puppy's head. "Come on mom, it's just a dog. How can you say no to these two faces?"

"It is pretty great." Rusty looked up at her again and smiled. "He's not so bad. The pillows were kind of my fault. I left them on the floor." He shrugged at her. "Sorry."

Sharon looked from one face to another. Then she groaned. "I do not believe this." She snatched up her purse again and strode away from them, headed toward the stairs. "Clean that up!"

"Hm." Andy looked at Rusty again. "I thought that went surprisingly well."

"She didn't shoot you," He pointed out with a smirk. "That's always a plus."

"The night's not over yet," Sharon called back, having heard it all.

"I should…" Andy jerked his head toward the stairs.

"I really would if I were you." Emily grinned at him. "Before she has a chance to get her gun out of the lockbox."

"Right." Andy stood up and started toward the stairs. "Hey, Rusty can you—"

"On it." He nodded. "Although, in hindsight, maybe I should have cleaned up the living room _before_ Sharon got home?"

"That would have been good." Emily smirked. "He is in so much trouble." She laughed. "Mom never let us have a puppy. Let Ricky have a hamster once. That didn't work out so well."

Rusty's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"It got out of its cage, got loose in the house…" Emily shrugged. "Dad stepped on it. It was one of those times when he actually lived with us for a while. You know, like his regular drive-by-family."

"So he really is a Jackass. No offense." Rusty rolled his eyes. "He was here today." He stood up and walked over to begin picking up the remains of the pillows.

"Really?" It was Emily's turn to flash a wide-eyed look. "Andy's not in jail, I guess that mean's my dad is still alive? Or at least, not in a hospital somewhere?" She moved to her knees and began gathering up the toys that were scattered across the floor. "And no offense taken. He has acted like a real jackass the last few years."

"Yeah, no kidding." Rusty shook his head. "He said some things while he was here. Andy ended up telling me the truth, you know, about Joey." He shrugged. "So a lot more stuff makes sense now. I understand now why he's not really… liked by a lot of people. Sounds like he was a real jerk."

"He was." Emily moved around the room, picking up toys and placing them in the toy box. "He wasn't always like that, and sometimes he can be a really great guy. The rest of the time, though…" She sighed. "Well, I guess you got a dose of that today. I'm sorry he shook things up around here today. I know Mom and Andy really don't like talking about what happened, or that Joey wasn't always his."

"Don't be." Rusty dumped the stuffing and chewed fabric in a waste basket and came back to help her pick up the toys. "Not your fault. We can't really help it when our parents suck."

Emily looked up and smiled sadly at him. "No, I guess we can't." Together they moved the coffee table back to its rightful place. Then she sank onto the sofa. Emily pulled Joey up beside her and laughed when the Puppy joined them. "I don't think mom is going to like him on the furniture, pal."

Joey wrapped his arms around the puppy's neck. "No-no puppy!"

"That's exactly how he got his name." Rusty smirked. He sat on the other end of the sofa and drew his legs up. "He calls _her_ the pushover."

"It's completely mutual." Emily laughed. "Joey, you've got them both wrapped around your little finger and you don't even know it."

"Oh…" Rusty shook his head. "He knows it. Believe me, he knows it." He dangled one of the rope toys in front of the dog again. "So, how was the spa?"

"Amazing." Emily grinned. "I think it was exactly what everyone needed. Mark's mom is kind of a riot. I think I get now why Nicole likes her so much. I am sore just from laughing so hard all day. It was really great. Mom really needed it too. She won't say anything, but all this stuff with our dad really bothers her. Doesn't matter how great or how smart she is, or even how strong, there's always going to be a part of her that's going to wonder what _she_ did wrong. So it was great to just get away and hang out, and not really have to think about any of that."

"I guess I just didn't really know it was a thing." Rusty shrugged. "You know, they don't really talk about it. At least, not in front of us." He glanced toward the stairs. "She's not really going to be mad about the dog, right?"

"Annoyed." Emily grinned. "He'll get off easy. I mean, like she can say no to that little face." She reached over and ruffled Joey's hair. "Don't worry about, Rusty." She added a smirk and a wink. "Andy's got it covered. He never would have gotten the dog if he thought she would _really _be upset about it. He's got mom figured out. It's going to be fine. At least… so long as she doesn't lose any shoes to it. Otherwise, all bets are off!"

Andy followed Sharon into their bedroom. He watched her drop her purse on the dresser and toe out of her shoes. Then she walked around and took a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt out of the dresser. Andy dropped onto the bed and propped his head in his hand, watching her. "On a scale of one to screwed, how much trouble am I in?"

"For getting a dog without discussing it with me?" She glanced at him. "Or getting a dog without discussing it with me _and_ letting it destroy my house?" Sharon made quick work of changing her clothes. "Odd, but these were the kinds of decisions that I thought we were supposed to make together."

"Yeah." He grabbed her arm when she walked by and tugged her onto the bed. "It was an impulse thing. Joey saw him, and _not_ bringing him home seemed like a bad idea. The dog is not even the worst of it." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Jack came by the house today."

"Yes, I know." Sharon shook her head. "He called me. After the fact. He wanted to discuss visitation rights for Joey… although the words Paternity Test and Child Support changed his mind very quickly. I don't think we'll be hearing from him again anytime soon. I didn't fold, I didn't give in, and I did not feel sorry for him. He's really unaccustomed to that. Jack will go and lick his wounds for a while."

"Good." He reached up and rubbed her back. She was seated on the mattress beside him. "Rusty knows," he said. "Jack was running his mouth. The kid had questions. I told him the truth. It was bound to come out eventually. The kid's not an idiot."

Sharon sighed. "I was afraid of that when Jack said that he came by the house. The more people who know…"

"I think the kid is alright with it." Andy shrugged. "He knows we've all got stuff in our past. I don't think he'll talk about it." He sat up and nudged her shoulder with his. "It's alright, Sharon. Rusty understands and Jack is gone for a while. I'd call that a win."

"I suppose that it is." She smiled at him. "It's one that I'll take, anyway." She leaned against him. "You waited dinner?"

"I did." He wrapped an arm around her. "Pot Roast," he said, before she could ask. Andy grinned. "I figured bringing home a dog without asking would warrant some major points."

"You figured right." She shook her head at him. Sharon groaned. "A dog? Really?" She was already picturing all of the chewed shoes that would result from that. It wasn't a pleasant image. It was hard to weigh that against the image of Joey hugging the puppy, however. She shook her head again. "I don't believe this."

"They're boys, they need a dog." Andy kissed the top of her head. "He's young, he needs a little training. It will be fine." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Andy swept a thumb across the screen, then scrolled through a series of pictures. They'd had quite the eventful afternoon, Joey and No-No. "It was kind of hard to say no to."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, the dog can stay." She nudged him with her elbow. "You are definitely the pushover now."

"Yeah." Andy grinned crookedly at her. "I'll take it. It was kind of worth it." He stood up and held out a hand. "Come on, let's go feed the boys before they destroy the house looking for food."

Sharon let him pull her up and when he tugged her close, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Just do me a favor… no more pets, okay?"

"Deal." He held onto her for a moment longer. "At least, not without discussing it first…"

"Andy." She shook her head slowly. "No."

His grin widened. "Come on, Sharon. Just think… fish aquarium." He laughed when she shoved him away. Andy caught her and pulled her back, his arms sliding around her from behind. He lowered his lips to her neck. "I guess now would be a bad time to mention the tree frog he found this afternoon…"

Sharon just sighed as she leaned back against him. "You're horrible," she decided, but she laughed when he nuzzled her neck.

"You love me," he rumbled quietly. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes." Her eyes closed when his lips moved up her neck to just behind her ear. "Nicole is a lot less frazzled than she was last night. The nerves will be back tomorrow, I'm sure. It's a big day. I think she'll be okay, though. Emily is going to pack an overnight bag and drive over to Nicole's tonight. The bridesmaids are all keeping her company while Mark and the boys camp out at his parents' place. We'll meet Emily at the country club with the others." As the stepsister, Emily had made the list of bridesmaids for the wedding.

"I can't believe it's really tomorrow." He tucked his chin against her shoulder. "I swear, yesterday she was just a baby."

"Hm." Sharon turned in his arms. "They do grow up. Sometimes a little too fast." She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling playfully. "Just think of it as gaining another son. Oh, and a pair of grandsons."

"You know," He smirked at her. "Since it means we now out number you all two to one, I'll take it."

Sharon groaned. "I was afraid you would clue in to that." When one of their phones began to vibrate, she sighed. She walked over to the dresser where hers waited. "It's me." She lifted it. "Damn." It was Provenza, that could only mean one thing. Her shoulders slumped and she looked back at him. "Plan B?"

"I'll take the boys to the country club. You'll work the case. I'll have your dress so you can come straight there. Ricky will be here in a couple of hours. It's fine." He was driving down. "Go, deal with the old guy. He gets cranky when you make him wait."

"Cranky doesn't cover it." Sharon shook her head. It was on the tip of her tongue to apologize, but then she was reminded that she was with the one person who would understand. She walked over and kissed him quickly before answering the phone. "Yes, Lieutenant," she said as she walked toward her closet. "What can I do for you?"

Andy watched her for a minute, phone tucked between her ear and shoulder while she pulled out something more appropriate for the office than yoga pants and a t-shirt. He still missed not being able to join them. Still, if he was with the squad, he'd end up missing a good chunk of the wedding activities the following day, and someone would get stuck babysitting. No, he would stay with the boys, wait up for Ricky, and hope his wife at least got enough of a break in her case to meet them the next day. She'd make it work, he knew, of that he had no doubt. Andy made his way downstairs while Sharon got ready to go to work.

There was just one question left on his mind… what the hell were they going to do with the puppy while everyone was at the wedding?


	37. Chapter 37

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 36<strong>

"Weddings are for the young." Those were the words that left Andy's mouth as he reclaimed his seat at the table he was sharing with his wife and the rest of their family. Emily was sitting with the other bridesmaids, but the boys were with them, including Charlie. Andy stretched his back before he relaxed. He reached up and loosened his tie before he stretched an arm across the back of his wife's chair and let his fingers toy with her hair.

"Hm." She chuckled quietly, in deference to the sleeping toddler in her lap. "Yes, but so is having babies." Joey was seated across her lap, reclining against the crook of her arm with his head laying on her shoulder while he slept. He was gone to the world. He hadn't moved, not even in response to the loudest of the laughter or music that filled the reception. His little suit jacket was gone, leaving behind his vest, and the tie that his father had put on him prior to the wedding. In the little gray, pinstripe three piece suit he couldn't have looked more like his father if he was genetically predisposed to do so. She had loosened his tie and unbuttoned his vest a bit. He was as comfortable as he could get, sleeping in her lap as he was.

Sharon looked over at her husband. His suit was a lighter shade of gray, but the three piece ensemble had looked very good on him. Like Joey, his jacket was gone, draped over the back of his chair. She chuckled again at the pair of them and lay her cheek against the top of her son's head. It had been a long day, but a beautiful one. Nicole could not have been more beautiful, nor Mark more handsome. It was obvious that they were beside themselves with joy. His boys too, they seemed so pleased to have Nicole joining their family.

"Well it's official," Ricky dropped into a chair at the table. He shook his head and ran a hand over his unruly mop of dark hair. "Emily has found a dance floor. You may never see her again."

"And a new dance partner." Rusty muttered as he slumped into a chair. "Thank god."

"Her new nickname is energizer," Charlie decided. Like his father, his jacket was gone and his tie loosened. He shook his head and lifted his drink to his lips. He smirked a bit. "Although if you ask me, I think little brother has the best seat in the house. How can he sleep in all this noise?"

"He's a Flynn." Sharon smirked at her husband.

He snorted at her. One time he'd fallen asleep on her, just one time, and she was never going to let him forget it. In his defense, he'd spent three weeks working almost around the clock to wrap a case. He'd fallen into a small coma when he got home. Unfortunately, he'd done it while his wife was changing into something _more comfortable_. "Damned straight he is." He wound a lock of her hair around his fingers. "Like my kid said, he's got the best seat in the house." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Oh my god, quick, someone feed me. I'm starving." Nicole dropped into a chair at the table. When her stepmother slid an untouched slice of wedding cake toward her, she smiled brightly. "Thank you." She lifted a fork and quickly shoveled a bite into her mouth. "God that's good." It was the first bite of food that she'd had, the little bit of cake that she and Mark shared earlier notwithstanding. With all of the pictures, the toasts, well wishes, and the dancing, there hadn't been time enough yet for her to eat. "Mark took the boys to change. Emily is occupying his best man, Jeff has Mom on the dance floor and I am _starving_."

Her gown was an ivory, strapless number that was trimmed in red. Her dark hair was twisted into a bun atop her head, and decorated in an array of sparkling crystals and tiny red roses. She had been utterly breathtaking on her father's arm, with her stepfather on her other side. Somehow, despite how the request had made her father feel, Nicole managed to make it work. She had danced with her father first, and then her stepfather, and spent much of the rest of the day moving around from one relative to another, mingling with friends, and generally giving the impression of a bride that could not be happier.

"She has been dancing all evening," Nicole reflected of her stepsister, who was now taking a turn around the floor with her new husband's best friend. "How does she do it?"

"Professional." Ricky grinned widely. "She dances for a living."

"That didn't sound dirty at all." Charlie smirked at him.

"You'd be surprised," Ricky said, "how many people immediately assume that she's a stripper when I tell them that my sister is a professional dancer. I spent my first two years at Stanford convincing my frat brothers that it was ballet and _no_ they did not need to meet her."

Sharon shook her head. "The worst part was," she explained, "Emily ended up dating one of them anyway."

"It didn't last," Ricky said. "Long distance relationships rarely do, but I was glad when that one ended. I got tired of hearing about it. There are some things that I am just not meant to know."

"Seconded." Charlie nodded. "None of my buddies ever dated my sister. They were afraid of her."

"You better believe it," Nicole slid another bite into her mouth and made quick work of it. "The first lesson dad ever taught me was what to do to a boy if he ever put his tongue in my mouth."

"Then she turned sixteen and stopped practicing." Andy shook his head. "Damn but they do eventually grow up, don't they?"

"Much too fast." Sharon agreed. "Soon they're playing with boys instead of running from them, and then they're dating the boys. Next thing we know, they're marrying them." She laughed. "When I married Jack, we did it all very quickly. He was starting law school soon, and I was about to graduate from the Academy, so we wanted it done. The night before our wedding, my brothers took him out… essentially to terrify him. They'd somehow gotten it into their heads that we were moving so quickly because I was pregnant. Naturally Jack then got it into his head that there was something I wasn't telling him…" She shook her head. "He managed to make it all the way through the wedding, and finally, in the car on our way to the reception, he asked me why I hadn't told him about the baby. A baby that, as far as I knew, didn't exist, mind you. So after clearing that up… and making us late to our reception, I had to deal with my brothers, and believe me, I did deal with my brothers." She paused for a moment and sighed. "Then I found out a month later that I was pregnant with Emily… to this day they don't believe I didn't already know."

Nicole giggled. She covered her mouth to keep from spitting cake everywhere. "Oh god. Honeymoon baby?"

"No," Sharon said at length. "We didn't have a honeymoon." Her lips pursed and her head tilted to one side. She cleared her throat. "Limo to the reception baby."

"Oh god." Ricky jerked with a full body shudder. "Mom. Seriously? I didn't need to know that."

"You are so sheltered." Rusty shook his head. He lived with Sharon and Andy, hearing that was nothing. "Try living with them," he nodded to his foster parents. "My earphones and stereo are my friends."

Andy looked at his wife. "Kid still thinks he's a comedian."

"They all do." She shrugged. "They're our children, what can we do?"

"Lock 'em out of the house and have our own fun?" He grinned crookedly at her.

"Yeah, I'm out of here." Ricky stood up. "Some things I _really _don't need to know."

"I'm going with you." Rusty followed.

"Finicky bunch aren't they?" Charlie smirked. "I was thinking more along the lines of _Go Dad_!"

"Me too." Nicole smirked. "Oh well, we'll just have to teach them." She finished the cake and stood. "I need to find Mark. Come see us before you go?"

Andy shared a look with his wife, who just nodded once. "Yeah, we will. It'll probably be soon. Joey needs his own bed."

"As does his mother." Sharon smiled tiredly. It had been a long night and even longer day. The case they'd worked wasn't really a new one, but rather they'd gotten a break in an existing case. Their work had stretched through the night and well into the new day. She ended up meeting the rest of her family at the country club, just as they'd thought she would. Now all she wanted to do was find a bed and collapse on it.

"Then I'll go and get Mark, we'll say goodbye now." Nicole stood. "Thank you for letting him join us. He was perfect." The two year old had a hard time staying on task, but they expected that. Still, he was adorable in his little suit and he had enjoyed standing at the front of the alter with his new step-nephews. Nicole couldn't wait to see the pictures. "When Mark and I get back from St. Thomas, we'll all get together and look at all of the pictures, they should be back by then…"

Even as she spoke, Nicole was hurrying away to find her new husband. "I think that was the longest she's stayed in one place all day," Andy shook his head. He chuckled quietly. His girl was full of energy and floating on a cloud. He remembered that feeling. As he looked at his wife, his smile softened. Yeah, he remembered it well. "I'll take him." Andy stood up and lifted Joey into his own arms. The boy hung limply there, but sighed when his head settled against his father's shoulder.

Sharon stood up and retrieved his jacket, as well as Joey's. "I'll find Rusty and see if he's going with us or staying with Emily and Ricky." She didn't see a problem with leaving him behind. Emily would keep an eye on him.

"You lead," Andy told her, "I'll follow." When she rolled her eyes at him, he just grinned crookedly. He followed her through the crowd. It was a slow process. People who knew him wanted him to stop and chat, which they did, just to be polite, even if Andy knew that half his family didn't really care for him. Truth was, it didn't seem to bother him that much anymore. Nicole and Charlie were good with him, and he didn't argue quite so often with Vicki anymore. He could handle the rest and all of their disdain. It wasn't as important as having his kids back in his life. He had to admit, it was a little freeing, not being there alone. There was something just a bit bolstering about being able to introduce his wife and his son, and watch some of them make the connection between Sharon and the Captain that they saw on local news broadcasts when he mentioned her work.

It was only Keith, Vicki's brother, who bothered to push the envelope a little too far. But then, Andy remembered, he'd never really gotten along with Keith in the first place. "I thought you were in that group," he asked. "Vicki says you're back doing your old job now. How does that happen?"

It was Sharon that answered, she leaned in to his side and put a calming hand against his back. "The LAPD has regulations against couples working together, particularly spouses in a command structure. We were allowed to try it for a while, until a position opened that was suitable to his record and experience. When that happened, our superiors insisted that Andy transfer. It worked out quite well for him in the end. He's running his own division and we get to see more of each other off duty." She smiled politely, but her gaze was sharp. "To be honest, it puts him in line for a promotion once our freeze is over. Career-wise it was the best move he could have made."

Andy shook his head at the last. "That will never happen." She seemed to think so, but Andy couldn't imagine it.

"Oh, I think so." Her hand stroked up and down his back. "I'm very much looking forward to seeing it too. Excuse us," she made the segue into their leaving look almost seamless. "I see my daughter. We really need to speak to her before we get the sleeping prince home. It was very nice meeting you."

He almost laughed out loud. Keith didn't have even a moment to respond before Andy and Sharon were gliding away from him. Andy managed to suppress the urge, however. "I don't know why you keep saying that," he continued. "I'm the last person that Taylor is ever going to let get promoted."

"He doesn't have a choice anymore." Sharon smiled widely at him. "He pushed you into a leadership role. I'm telling you, it's going to happen."

Andy snorted at her. "You're an eternal optimist, you know that right?"

"No, honey, I'm a realist." She fluttered her lashes at him. "It's _really_ going to happen." Sharon's eyes sparkled. "I tell you what. When it does happen, and it will, we get to go away for the weekend. Just the two of us, to any location of my choosing."

"When it doesn't?" Andy smirked back at her. "What are we going to do then."

"Hm." Her lips pursed. She glanced away for a moment. Then a smile slowly curved her lips. "When it doesn't happen, but it will, you and I will… go away for the weekend, just the two of us, to a location of my choosing." Sharon smiled brightly at him. "It's a win-win situation."

Andy tilted his head at her. "Basically, you're saying that if you're right, we go somewhere you want to go, and if you're wrong, we still go somewhere you want to go."

"Yes." She nodded once.

He shrugged. "Yeah, okay. That sounds right. Welcome to marriage. It's all about the compromise." He kissed her upturned, smiling mouth. "Come on, let's grab Emily before she disappears again. I swear, that child is just like you."

Sharon arched a brow at him. "Beautiful, witty, and indescribably intelligent?"

Andy stared back at her. "Yeah," he deadpanned. "We'll go with that."

She made a face at him. "I'm going to remember that… later, when I'm trying to decide if I want to stay awake or not."

He laughed. "You'll be asleep in the car before we make it to the highway." Of that, Andy had no doubt. Not after working all night and most of the morning. When he weighed in two glasses of champagne and all of the wedding festivities, he knew that her energy reserves were beginning to fade. They'd leave her car with Ricky, since the boys had ridden with him to the country club.

"There could be a lot of truth to that," Sharon agreed. She was dragging, and was looking forward to the solitude the drive home would provide. It had still been a beautiful day, however, and she had no regrets about it.

They located Emily, and then Ricky and Rusty. After explaining that they were going, they gave the kids the option of staying or tagging along. Rusty was on the fence about it, but the other children tipped his hand. They convinced him to stay and enjoy the remainder of the wedding. Emily promised to keep an eye on both of them, despite the fact that Rusty was seventeen and Ricky was twenty-four. The boys were already planning how they could get even with her. Sharon and Andy left them to it.

Rather than napping, as she was wont to do, Sharon waited until they were back on the highway before glancing at her husband. "Has Rusty told you what happened at dinner with Kris's parents yet?"

"Not really." Andy shrugged. "Just that they had a lot of questions, and then decided he shouldn't spend time with Kris anymore. I figure he went into more detail than he needed to. You know the kid, he gets defensive about it."

"Hm." Sharon hummed quietly and let her head rest against the car seat. "He told them about the letter he received. So yes, I would say that he went into far more detail than he needed to. The thing is, I think Rusty is looking for ways to distance himself from Kris."

"Why would he do that?" Andy glanced over at her with a frown. "They seem to get along okay. The kid doesn't have a lot of friends."

"No," Sharon said carefully. "But I believe the issue is that perhaps Kris would like to be _more_ than simply friends." She stared at him, and when her husband glanced away from the road again, her brows lifted pointedly.

"Oh." Andy's lips pursed. He looked at the road again and shook his head slowly. "That could be a problem." It was pretty obvious that the kid was gay. Okay, so it was obvious to Sharon and she had to point it out to him, but now that she had, Andy could see it too. It wasn't just about the gay hustling on Sunset Boulevard, but a real preference. It was possible that the kid could still be confused, based on that, but they didn't think so.

"Yes," she said. "And Rusty doesn't want to talk to me about. He doesn't want to talk to a professional about it." A smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth while she watched him. When realization of what she was asking came, Sharon folded her lips into a thin line to suppress the urge to grin and laugh.

"What?" Andy stared at her. He shook his head. "Oh no. Come on, Sharon. That's asking a lot, don't you think? What the hell do I know about all this? What am I going to say to the kid about being gay and dodging girlfriends. Not like that's an issue I've ever had before. Besides, what makes you think he wants to talk to _me_ about it anyway?" As he spoke, he kept one hand on the steering wheel while he gestured with the other. Andy sighed, shook his head again. "This is the kind of thing he should be talking to… hell, I don't know, Buzz about. He's younger. He's got to know about this kind of thing."

"Buzz has been very helpful," Sharon told him. "But he isn't responsible for Rusty and it isn't his place to have this discussion with him. I've tried to do it myself, but Rusty wasn't comfortable talking about it with me. That only leaves one alternative left. He has to talk to someone, and in the absence of a professional…" She gestured delicately at her husband. "There you have it."

He squinted at her. Andy took in her sparkling eyes and the small smile she couldn't completely suppress. "This is my punishment, isn't it? This is what I get for bringing home a dog without talking to you about it first and god knows what else." He huffed. "Shit, Sharon…" Andy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You know, when I had the talk with Charlie, that was bad enough. Now you're wanting me to—"

"Not go into any great detail." She giggled quietly. "But at least make sure that he understands that we are aware of the situation and supportive." She stressed the last bit. "That's very important, Andy. He has to know that we will still be there for him, whatever his choices. That we want him to be safe, and to be kind, and to be self aware."

Andy looked at her again, eyes wide. "And you want _me_ to talk to him about that?" He shook his head at her, sounding and looking incredulous about it. "Lady, I think you've forgotten who you married. Maybe we should have a fresher. My name is Andy and I'm—"

"A very good father," She said gently. "You're not Rusty's, I know that. But we are what he has. He's ours now, so…" She gestured with her hand again before allowing it to drop to her lap where she folded both her hands together. "Do your best, I know it will be wonderful." Sharon leaned her head back with that and closed her eyes.

"I don't believe this." Andy sighed loudly. "You know, I was supposed to have about another thirteen years before I had to go through that again. Dammit, Sharon."

She hummed again and smiled serenely. "Don't _Dammit Sharon_ me. At least Rusty and Joey have someone that can do that for them. Who do you think had to sit down with Ricky? You know, I tried, and Rusty didn't want to talk to me. He's not comfortable discussing certain things with me. That is where you come into the picture. It's going to be fine."

She wasn't giving him any option about it. He was going to have to do it. Andy shook his head again. At this rate, he was going to end up spraining something in his neck. "For the record," he grumbled, "this was not what I signed on for." When she only giggled softly, he rolled his eyes. "Damned woman is going to be the end of me," he muttered, only to her continued amusement. Andy huffed another sigh but looked over at her. Her eyes remained closed. He glanced into the backseat. Joey was slumped against one side of his carseat, still unaware of the world around him. He'd hardly even moved when they fastened him into it. Andy grunted quietly and reached for her hand. "Fine," he said, "I'll take the kid out, we'll have the damn talk. You're making it up to me after."

"I promise." Her thumb swept over his hand as their fingers twined together. With her eyes still closed, she smiled sweetly. "If you happen to take Lieutenant Provenza with you, well, Rusty could use all the support that he can get and they've gotten very close since you transferred."

Andy's brows shot up. He slanted a look at her. A grin slowly tugged at his mouth. He pictured how that conversation could end up going and chuckled. Suddenly, it wasn't looking so bad. "You know, I think I will ask Provenza to come along. It's been a while since we've been out. We'll take the kid for burgers. I know a place that even has a pretty good soy burger. You're right, it'll be great." He lifted her hand and drew it to his lips.

She rolled her head against the seat and smiled at him. Her eyes fluttered open and sparkled playfully. "I knew that you'd see reason in the end. There is always a method, Andy. You should know that by now."

"Yeah." He was still grinning imagining the look on Provenza's face. "Mentioned lately that I love you?"

"I think it's come up once or twice." She tilted her head at him. She gave his hand a squeeze and resettled in the seat. "Joey didn't eat much today, let's stop and pick up dinner," she said, changing the subject. "He'll be hungry when he wakes up, and I don't know about you, but I don't particularly feel like cooking."

"Nope." Neither of them was particularly hungry either, but that would change later. "We can swing past the bistro or something. Maybe grab a pizza. Joey likes pizza." He liked to pick all of the toppings off of it, saving the crust for last. The kid could be a marvel at times, the way he approached the simplest situations. It was a joy to watch. "Looks like we're going to be in traffic for a while," he pointed out, as they slowed to an almost stop. "Take a nap, I'll wake you when we get closer to home." Late Saturday afternoon traffic could be just as bad as any given day of the week.

"I'm going to take you up on that." Her eyes closed again. "Don't forget to stop and pick up the dog." Julio was watching it for them, at least until it was kennel trained.

Andy laughed. It was Sharon that wouldn't let him leave the dog locked in the utility room, in its kennel crate while they were gone to the wedding. She didn't like the idea of him being confined that long. Especially as he whined every time he was placed in the kennel. For all of her protesting, she had given in easily enough. He wondered if it had anything at all to do with the pictures he'd sent her last night of No-No curled up on Joey's toddler bed with him. Of course, boy and dog had both ended up in their bed before the night was over, but… Andy wasn't going to tell her about that.

It took them more than an hour to reach Julio's place to pick up No-No. Andy woke Sharon when they pulled into the drive, and then he went in to get the dog while she pulled herself back together. He wasn't surprised to find her standing beside the car when he returned with the dog, Julio beside him. When he opened the back passenger door to let the dog into the car, he laughed when it immediately reared up on the carseat and began licking Joey's face. The toddler came awake with a start.

Joey's eyes blinked open. He lifted his head and looked around, at first disoriented. Then he laughed and squealed when the puppy tried to climb into his lap. Andy pulled back on the leash to keep the dog in place in the seat beside Joey's carseat. He was wriggling around, tail wagging. When he reared up on the side of the carseat again, Joey turned his head away and laughed. "No no!"

"That explains the name." Julio laughed. "I just walked him, so he should be fine." He held out the bag of toys that Flynn brought to the Captain. "How was the wedding? You look tired, ma'am."

She smiled at the concern in his tone. They could all use a break after their most recent case. "It was lovely. Nicole was beautiful. It has been an exceptionally long day, however. I think we should get these two home. Thank you, again, for watching him."

"It was no problem." Julio smirked. "I wouldn't want Flynn to get into anymore trouble." He rocked back on his heels and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"I don't think he could get into anymore trouble at this point." Sharon glanced into the backseat. She shook her head when the puppy climbed over Joey to explore the other side of the car. She was glad that she had left hers with the kids.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Andy had unclipped the leash from the dog's collar. He dropped into the floor behind the driver's seat. "Kids like puppies, puppies like kids. It's all good."

"Hm." Sharon shook her head slowly. "They also like throw pillows, shoes, and rugs…" She shot a very pointed look at her husband. "Very expensive, designer throw pillows. That are now in the trash, rather than on my sofa, where they belong."

"You know something," Andy pointed at her. "I thought you said we should think of it as _our_ sofa." When her eyes narrowed, he threw up his hands. "Just trying to make a point."

Julio snorted with quiet laughter. "Some things never change." The Lieutenant was still putting his foot in his mouth. Julio moved past him to lean into the car. "Hey, mi hombrecito, we hangin' out tomorrow? Just you and me right?" The plan was to barbecue and watch the game while Ricky was still in town, before he drove back north to Palo Alto.

"Yes!" Joey laughed again when the dog climbed back over to lay across his lap and yap playfully at Julio. His entire body wiggled with the wagging of his tail.

"Alright man, high five?" He held his hand up for Joey, but the puppy jumped and licked it instead. "Dude, that's gross." Julio leaned back out of the car and shook his head. "Good luck, Lieutenant." Training that puppy was going to be fun, he was full of energy. He seemed smart, but full of energy.

"Yeah, thanks a lot." Andy rolled his eyes at him as he pushed the car door closed. "We're going to get out of here. We'll see you tomorrow. Say around… noon?"

"I'll be there." Julio stepped back from the car. "I'm bringing the good stuff, ma'am. They're already made."

Her brows lifted. She turned to her husband. "I'm staying here, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh huh." Andy grabbed her shoulders and turned her. "Nice try, Julio. Get your own girl." He gave her a gentle push to get her going to the other side of the car.

Sharon gave a large, exaggerated sigh. "He never lets me have any fun anymore."

Julio laughed again. It was nice to be getting back to the way things used to be, before the Captain took over Major Crimes. It was awkward for a while, and most of them had put aside the relationships that they had before that… back when she was just Flynn's girlfriend, and later his wife, the nice lady who let them hang out on the sofa and watch the game on the big screen TV. Well, nice when she wasn't investigating them for some reason or another. For the last year, since the Chief left and she became their boss, well it was adjustment period. They all had to get used to things being different. It took a while for some of them, even him, to get their heads wrapped around it. Now he was like the others, back in a place where he could separate the two.

Weird as it was, and as much as none of them had liked losing the Lieutenant to Robbery Homicide, Julio thought that maybe it was easier to separate all of it now that Flynn was no longer part of the squad. He was just their buddy who worked in another division. His wife happened to be their boss, but when they were over at the house, the Captain was no where to be found. It was just Flynn's wife and his little buddy's mom. Julio shook his head. "Sorry ma'am." His dark eyes glittered. "Don't worry, I made extra, just for you."

Sharon preened and smirked at her husband. "Just for me." She pulled open the front passenger door.

Andy turned and fixed Sanchez with a bland look. "Really? You gotta do that in front of me? Come on!"

"What?" Julio arched a brow at him. "I'm not going to do it when you're not around. That would be wrong. I'm a good boy." His shoulders shook with silent laughter. He could hear the Captain laughing as she got into the car.

"You're nothing but trouble." Andy pointed a finger at him. "I'm going to be keeping an eye on you, Sanchez." He opened the driver's side door and slid into the car. When the dog climbed between the front seats and into his lap, he sighed. "Come on, cut it out."

Sharon leaned closer to her door and folded her hands in her lap. She smiled a bit too sweetly at him. "Well," she drawled, "you wanted to get a dog…"

Andy rolled his eyes toward her. "You want me to drive the car or not?" He nudged the dog again. "Come on, pup… you've got to move." He pushed him toward Sharon, since he didn't seem interested in getting in the backseat again.

"No!" She made a squeaking sound when the dog climbed into her lap. "Andy! I'm still in my dress." She made a face when he tried to lick her face and groaned when he succeeded. "Oh god." Sharon turned her face away from him and lifted the dog into the floorboard at her feet instead. With his tail wagging and body wiggling, she sighed. "I'm changing your name. I'm going to call you Flynn."

"Funny." Andy made a face at her. "Real cute, Sharon." He put the car in gear and started backing out of Julio's driveway.

In the backseat, Joey giggled. "Finn!"

"Hey." Andy turned and fixed him with a look. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Sharon giggled. "Well, he's a very smart boy. Whose side do you think he's on?" Her head tilted and she thought about it. "Finn, I like that, actually." The dog had its head laying on the seat beside her leg. He was content enough, while they were moving, to let her pet his head and rub his ears. "Joey, what do you think? Finn?"

Joey had a toy car in his hand. He banged it against the side of his carseat. "Finn! Finn puppy."

"There you have it. He has a name." Sharon smirked at her husband. "Now he needs name tags." The only thing on his collar so far was the tag the shelter had placed there indicating he'd had all of his shots. "He also needs to go to the vet." She arched a brow at Andy. "You'll take care of that, won't you?" Not that she didn't trust the shelter, or the papers that had come with him, but if the dog was going to be climbing all of her child she wanted to know, without a doubt, that it was perfectly healthy.

Andy sighed. "Yes," he said, trying to to sound too aggrieved. "I will take him to the vet." He glanced at his wife. He grinned as he turned them back toward the highway to head home. "Admit it, he's cute. I did good."

"I'll admit that he is not unfortunate looking," Sharon said with a smile. "But I will not say anything on the other matter." She lifted her chin in defiance but her eyes were sparkling. She leaned her head back against the seat rest and turned her attention on Joey. "We're going to stop for food. Do you want pizza?"

"Pizza, mmm!" He nodded once and continued to run his car around on his legs and the sides of his carseat, making vrooming noises as he did.

"Pizza it is," Andy said. "Do we want Murphy's, or should I stop at that little place on the corner of Mohawk Street?"

Her lips pursed while she thought about it. "Which one has the twisted bread sticks that he likes? With the garlic sauce instead of the marinara." Even as she asked, she reached into her purse for her phone to check the last place they had ordered from.

"That's the place on Mohawk," Andy told her. "If you call it in, we'll be there in about twenty-five to pick it up." He glanced over and grinned. She was already dialing. Andy shook his head, the woman could read his mind. "Get the veg—" He trailed off as she began placing the order. She was already doing _that _too, ordering a cheese pizza for Joey and a veggie delight for them to share later, when they were hungry. He reached for her hand and held it as he maneuvered them back out onto the highway. She could read his mind, finish his sentences. The kid was chattering in the backseat, mostly gibberish, put they could pick out the words that he knew. He was holding an entire conversation, and after she finished ordering the pizza, Sharon managed to keep up with him. Andy could pick out something about trucks and trains, Finn, and daddy, and Rusty, and had a pretty good idea that Sharon was setting up a play date for them later, one that was going to end up with him rolling around on the floor until his back and knees hated him. The sound of her laughter as she arranged it made him smile.

Life didn't get much better than that.


	38. Chapter 38

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 37<strong>

Kris hadn't seen much of the LAPD's downtown offices, but what little she had seen of it, it all seemed to look exactly the same. That didn't appear to be true on the seventh floor. The offices were smaller, and the break room, well she would hardly call it that. It was more of a large closet that had a single fridge, sink, and coffee maker. In the larger room there were fewer desks. Unlike the ninth floor where Major Crimes resided, the seventh floor contained a couple of different divisions. Kris figured that's why Robbery Homicide seemed a lot more cramped.

As she stepped into the smaller bull pen and looked around she immediately spotted Rusty's foster dad. He was standing between two desks talking to a couple of officers, gesturing with one hand while his other held a file. Kris took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was still trying to figure out why, all of a sudden, Rusty didn't think that he could be around her anymore. Sure, he gave her a reason, it just didn't ring very true… and it hurt. Didn't he know that he could trust her?

Maybe not, considering where she was and what she was about to do. At the very least, he should know that she would do the right thing. That she would look out for him and help him get the one thing he was trying so hard to get. Wasn't that what people who cared about each other did? Even if they were just friends? Kris shook her head and clasped her hands in front of her as she walked through, moving through the desks that were arranged much closer together than those upstairs were.

"Lieutenant." She spoke quietly. Normally she would call Rusty's foster parents Andy and Sharon, but she thought maybe in front of his officers, and since Rusty wasn't spending time with her anymore, it might be a good idea if she didn't do that anymore.

Andy turned, looking back at her over his shoulder. Surprise lit his face. "Hey, Kris." He shifted where he stood to draw her into the conversation. "If you're looking for Rusty, he's not here. He likes to hang out upstairs with the cool kids. Apparently they've got all the best toys." Seeing Kris reminded him that he was still supposed to have that talk with Rusty. There just hadn't been time the last couple of weeks. First there was the wedding, then he and Sharon had both caught a couple of really rough cases. It had kept them busy. Although, now that he thought about it, Sharon had mentioned something the other day about Rusty and Kris both seeming upset… and Kris not coming around as much as she used to. That made Andy wonder if maybe Rusty hadn't worked it out on his own. Not that it mattered, he was still going to have that talk with him. Sharon wasn't going to let him get away with not doing it.

Kris looked around the smaller bullpen and smiled. "I was noticing that it does seem a little bit… smaller down here. I don't understand why. You're all just as important, right?"

"See?" Andy hooked a thumb at her as he looked at his guys. "I like this kid. I'm thinkin' she can hang out down here with us anytime." He leaned against the edge of one of their desks. "Kris, these two guys are Sergeants Phillips and Elliot. This guy," he pointed to the latter of them, "is my big win for the year. But don't tell my wife. I'm waiting to spring it on her later. She doesn't know I snatched her protege right out from under her nose." He grinned crookedly. "We both had openings, but the seventh floor for all it's not so shiny toys, is a lot closer to all the gossip. I found out before she did that Elliot here was putting out feels to get out of FID."

Sergeant Elliot shook his head. He stood from his desk, waiting his turn as both Phillips and then he shook the young lady's hand. "What he forgot to mention is the fact that he _convinced_ her not to hire anyone else from FID. Now he's gone and done it."

"Someone's going to get it." Phillips smirked.

"Hey," Andy shrugged. "What can I say? All the best things come out of Internal Affairs. If she's too busy stealing our cases to pay attention to the scuttlebutt around here, that's not my problem. She should mind her own cases."

Phillips snorted a laugh. "You don't care about her taking the case, it's the paperwork nightmare that she leaves behind that bothers you."

"Exactly." Andy stood up from the desk. "I'm still trying to get those pushed off on her. So far it's not working out that great, but I'm not going to stop trying."

"Good luck, Lieutenant." Elliot smirked at him. "Let me know how that works out for you."

"No comments from the peanut gallery or I'll send you back to the dark side," Andy threatened.

"I don't understand," Kris cast confused looks at all of them. "Why is this a big deal?" Rusty always called his foster parents weird, but she always thought they were really amusing. They reminded her of her own parents, the way that they bantered and teased one another. Her dad was a lawyer and her mother made jewelry, but they always said that a little bit of healthy competition was good for a marriage. She saw that with Rusty's foster parents too. It was why she was always so comfortable with them. It was more like a normal family than he really knew.

"Captain Raydor used to be my boss," Elliot explained. "We were both in Internal Affairs, the Force Investigation Division. She was transferred to Major Crimes and Lieutenant Flynn was transferred to Robbery Homicide."

"Right," Kris nodded. "Rusty told me about that. You couldn't work together because you're married. I think that's sexist and stupid, but a lot of places have that rule. So then," she turned her attention back on Elliot, "that's why you're her protege. She trained you," Kris said, catching on quickly to the joke now. "So now the Lieutenant has hired you, and she still has an opening. One she could have filled with an officer that she knows." She shook her head and looked at the Lieutenant. "That was very sneaky, Lieutenant."

"I thought so." He shrugged. "Hey, she snoozes…" He tilted his head at her. "So what can I do for you? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Kris fidgeted where she stood and sighed quietly. "I had a free period. I was hoping that we could talk for a minute? It's about Rusty…"

"Yeah sure," he jerked his head toward the office in the corner. "Come on back." Andy led the way. He was really wondering now what she was there for. If she was looking for help with Rusty… ah crap. Teenage romance. He really thought he'd aged beyond these kinds of situations. Apparently not, and there was going to be more to come. Either with Rusty or later with Joey. Practice, he thought. Just consider it to be good practice. Andy moved into his office and held the door for Kris. Like Sharon's it was bordered on two sides with glass windows, but it was easily half the size. "Go ahead and have a seat," he walked around and dropped the file he held onto the desk. He left the blinds open, which still gave him a great view out into the bullpen.

She took another deep breath as she folded herself into one of the chairs in front of his desk. She waited until he had done the same before she clasped her hands in her lap. "I'm worried about Rusty," she began immediately. "He told me something and he asked me not to tell, but… I'm really scared for him, and I think someone else should know. I swore to him that I wouldn't say anything, but if I don't and something happens to him, then it will be my fault."

Andy scowled as he leaned forward. "What are you talking about?" He rested his hands against his desk, clasped loosely together and studied her. She was nervous alright, shifting in her seat and tugging at the hem of her dress. "What did Rusty say? Is something going on at school…" He didn't see how, it was only the first day of their senior year. They hadn't had time to get into trouble yet. Well, maybe Kris hadn't. She was a good kid. Rusty on the other hand… "He didn't get into another fight did he?" Andy sighed. "Sharon is going to have both our asses if he's fighting in school again. Listen, whatever Rusty did—"

"No it's not that." Kris shook her head quickly. "I haven't seen Rusty. He doesn't think that he should spend time with me anymore. He said he's worried that I'll get hurt too." She looked at her hands and tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart. It wasn't working. When she looked up again, Kris stared miserably at the Lieutenant. "It's all those letters. Over the last two months Rusty has been getting letters from this crazy person that wants to hurt him. There are like, a dozen of them, and he won't tell anyone about them. He's afraid that if he does that really horrible Emma lady will make him go away. So he's hiding them. From everyone. Especially from you and Sharon."

His hands clenched tightly. Andy shook his head. "Kris," he spoke slowly, carefully. His jaw clenched but Andy forced it to relax. "There was only the one letter. There haven't been anymore. It wasn't really that threatening. Rusty is safe, I'm not sure what he said to you, or why, but there is nothing going on here."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I saw them. Rusty showed them to me." She swallowed hard. "They're in his cubicle. Please don't tell him I told you. If he finds out it was me, he'll never want to speak to me again. But maybe if he thought he was safe…"

"You saw the letters." Andy stood up and leaned against the desk. "Plural. More than one?"

"Yes." Kris nodded. "He's got a whole stack of them. Rusty said that they all say the same thing, that some guy is coming after him if he testifies in the trial. He didn't let me read them, but he showed them to me. He's been getting them all summer," she finished quietly.

Andy stared at her. She returned his gaze. Nervous and upset, but she wasn't lying. This wasn't a _my boyfriend broke up with me and I__'__m getting even_ story that she was telling him. She was really frightened. Andy straightened. That meant the kid had lied to them. He had kept the letters a secret. _Some secrets are necessary_. He remembered Rusty saying that now. He intended to talk to him about it, but then they all got busy and he let it go. Dammit, he let it go. He had known then that something was bothering the kid, he just thought it had more to do with his past. Not his present. Andy ground his teeth together. He could feel the anger building, the worry. About a dozen letters, she said. He'd been getting them all summer.

"Go back to school, Kris." Andy walked around the desk and pulled open the door. "I'll take care of it."

"I'm sorry," she said again. She stood up quickly and walked toward the door. "Please, the thing he's most afraid of is being sent away."

"I'll handle it." They would see about that. Right now he was so mad he didn't know if he wanted to shake the kid or lock him in a room. Maybe a jail cell for his own safekeeping. Damn, didn't the kid know how serious this was? If some nut job was making threats, he should have said something. There was plenty of opportunity for him to tell one of them, or to tell someone else. He could have told Provenza, or Buzz, hell, he could have even gone to Julio. Rusty hadn't done any of that, however. He'd held onto all of it himself. He'd put himself in danger and the rest of them too, and that was the part that he was most pissed off about.

How many times in the last few weeks had he or Sharon let Rusty walk the dog around the neighborhood, because really, it was just around the block. What could happen there? Besides, it was just the _one letter_. He had even taken Joey with him once. Just down the street and back, because the toddler had wanted to go. He hadn't wanted Rusty or Finn out of his sight, so Andy let them go. He was just in the garage, it wasn't like he wasn't in earshot the whole time. It still made him feel sick now. They hadn't known about the letters, but dammit, Rusty had!

The kid was going to get an earful, of that Andy was certain. First thing was first, he sent Kris on her way. He put her on an elevator headed downstairs, then he got on another one. Andy rode it to the ninth floor. When he stepped out he walked the familiar path toward the Murder Room. The closer he got, the madder he got. Rusty was lucky that he was in school.

"Hey! Look who it is!" Provenza called out when he spotted him. "The prodigal son returns. The missus is a little busy at the moment," he said, "you'll have to settle for the rest of us. What brings you all the way—hey!" He scowled as Flynn walked right through the murder room. Actually, walked was a bit of a loose term for it. He was marching through the murder room, and not looking all that happy. "What is that about?" Provenza pushed up from his desk.

"I don't know, sir." Julio turned in his chair to watch the Lieutenant. When he disappeared around the corner into Rusty's cubicle, he shrugged. "Kid forgot his homework, I guess."

Andy found the letters right where Kris said they would be. Tucked away in the cabinet, hidden from view. He pulled the stack out, there were about a dozen of them. They felt like lead in his hand. His chest clenched and his stomach twisted as he held them. Andy flipped through the stack quickly. Every one of them was addressed to Rusty, care of DCFS. He opened the two on top and read through them quickly. Andy felt sick to his stomach.

"You know," Sharon had watched him walk through the murder room. Once she was off the phone, she went in search of him. "If Rusty forgot his things for school, it's really not up to us to fetch them for him. He's going to have to learn to be more responsible." She leaned against the side of the cube and folded her arms over her chest. "I also just heard a very interesting rumor. Someone told me that you hired Sergeant Elliot. _My_ Sergeant Elliot. Why didn't you tell me you were going to do that," she exclaimed. "Andy, if he was looking for a transfer, you might remember that I have a spot to fill!" Sharon pouted playfully as she studied his back. Whatever he was doing, he was fully engrossed. "Okay, what is so interesting, Mister. I'm trying to have a conversation here."

He turned slowly. Andy stared hard at his wife. Then his gaze fell to the letters in his hands. There were three of them, open in his left hand, his right still held the stack of envelopes, those he hadn't read yet. He held them out to her. Weird that his hand was shaking a bit. But then again, he was still pretty pissed about it. "He lied to us," he said roughly. "He's been hiding these all summer."

Sharon stared at his face. He was angry. More than that, she read fear in his eyes. She pushed away from the cubicle wall to walk toward him. Her gaze dropped slowly to the items held in his hand. She knew what they were, even without needing to read them. "No," she said quietly. She shook her head and kept her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "No, he wouldn't do that. Rusty wouldn't withhold something like this from us…" Obviously he had, if she was looking at the evidence and it was not mentioned prior to that moment. She inhaled sharply past a sudden ache in her chest. Sharon reached for the sheets of notebook paper clasped tightly in his hand. "He wouldn't," she said again.

"He did." Andy watched her face pale as she took the letters from him. He kept the others, still contained in their envelopes. They'd been opened. The kid had read them. He slapped them against his palm. "He told Kris about them. He used them as his reason for not wanting to see her anymore. It scared her. She came to me."

She read through the first letter quickly, and then the second. "Oh my god," she murmured. She felt a little light headed holding them. Sharon sank into the chair in front of the desk. She held the letters tightly as she read the third. "What did he do," she whispered. "My god, what did he _do_!"

"Hid these, lied to us." Andy walked around the desk and leaned against it beside her. He sighed, felt his shoulders slump. He hissed a sigh between his teeth. "What the hell was he thinking?"

She had a hand covering her mouth. Sharon shook her head. "I don't know if I can protect him from this." She looked up, her wide-eyed gaze settled on her husband. "They'll want to put him in witness protection. DDA Rios will use this as her excuse to finally get him out of our home, and then what happens to him? She'll protect her damned trial, but what about Rusty? What is going to happen to him if they send him away, and they _will_ want to send him away now."

Her children were her weakness. Andy stared at her, the fear and pain were reflected easily in her eyes. All she could think of was _keeping_ Rusty, the rest didn't seem to matter. Yes, she was worried, frightened for him and what he'd hid from them. Losing him was foremost on her mind, however. He looked at the stack of remaining letters in his hand and shook his head. "Is keeping him really a good idea?"

Air left her lungs in a rush. Sharon pushed out of her chair to stand in front of him. "How can you say that? Of course we're going to keep him, if we can. What… why…" She couldn't even say the words. She just stared at him, horrified that he'd even think of sending Rusty away now, especially when he was going to need them most. "_Andy_!"

His jaw clenched again. Andy leaned forward and wrapped his free hand around her wrist. He tugged her closer, to stand between his legs. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, heading her off before she could get too worked up about it. "I'm talking about keeping him safe. Is keeping him with us the best way to do that?" His brows lifted. "We both work long hours, and we can't be with him every second. We've got Joey to think about too…"

"He's just a child," she reminded him. "I'm not happy about it." Sharon looked down at the letters again and closed her eyes. "He knew. He knew about this and he hid it, and yes, there is going to be a conversation about that. But he's a child. A scared, abandoned child that has never stayed long in one place before. We're all he has Andy." She looked at him again. "A couple of months ago we talked about discussing adoption. That isn't a decision that can just be turned off because we're unhappy with something that he did. For all that Rusty believes that he's not a kid anymore, he is. He acted out of fear. I may not be able to hold on to him, but I'm not going to just let him go either. Can you?"

"Okay, alright." He stood and slipped his hand beneath the curtain of her hair to cup the back of her neck. He drew her against him with a sigh. "He'll stay." Andy sighed. "But yeah, you better believe there's going to be a conversation about it. I can promise you that the kid isn't going to like it." He wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her close. He felt her tremble against him and tightened his hold for a moment. Andy sighed again. As angry as he was about it, he realized he didn't really _want_ him to go either. "He is so grounded," he rumbled quietly.

"Hm." A small smile tugged her lips. "That isn't even the tip of the iceberg." Sharon lifted her head and took a step back. She drew a breath and let it out slowly. She held out a hand for the rest of the letters. "I'm going to have to speak to Chief Taylor about these." They couldn't continue to hide them. It was a matter of Rusty's safety now. Steps would need to be taken. The threat was now actionable.

Andy passed them over. "I'll go with you," he said. This wasn't some case that she was working. They had taken responsibility for Rusty together. Any discussions about his future would involve both of them.

Sharon nodded. "Best to get it over with, then." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she turned. She felt him behind her as they strode across the murder room. "Lieutenant Provenza, I will be in Chief Taylor's office if I am needed. Although I expect this meeting could take quite some time. Please call down and inform Sergeant Phillips that Robbery Homicide can expect to be without the Lieutenant as well."

"Okay," Provenza spoke slowly. He quickly studied the both of them, visibly upset and trying to hide it. Then he spied the letters in her hands. It didn't take a genius to figure _that_ out. Letters from Rusty's cubicle and a meeting in Taylor's office, with both of them. Provenza sat up in his chair. "Captain…"

"Also," She continued in a thicker, quieter tone. "Please have patrol go to Rusty's school and pick him up. He is to be brought back here. I expect that we will be needing him for this meeting. Excuse us."

"Lieutenant." Buzz stepped forward. He shook his head slowly. "How…"

"Kris." Andy shrugged. His hands were tucked into his pockets. "He told her. She was worried, she came to me." She hadn't wanted Rusty to know about it, but they were beyond that now. Andy looked away and slowly followed his wife down the hall toward Taylor's office. No, keeping secrets, they didn't bode well at all.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Rusty was in his room. He wasn't happy, but the most important thing was that he was, in fact, _in his room_.

They were right. Rios wanted him gone the minute she heard about the letters. She tried very hard to make that happen, but as formidable as Sharon was alone, she had both of them to fight this time.

"_He__'__s not going anywhere. Our son stays with us_. _You can take witness protection off the table, right now, because neither of us is signing off on it._"

"_Captain, as far as I am aware, your son is in daycare right now. What we are presently discussing is the safety of a material witness_."

Taylor knew that he overstepped his bounds when she turned on him. Andy was glad to have not been on the receiving end of that glare. This was not a fight that Taylor wanted. Facing off with Sharon was one thing, but doing it when she was not just a walking rulebook but a mother protecting her child, that was something entirely different. As he quickly learned. The room chilled considerably.

Her voice dropped an octave while her eyes narrowed. "_Do you want to get into technicalities now, Chief?_ _That boy is more than just your material witness. He is a child. A child that has been tossed around and abandoned and _lied_ to by everyone in his life, including the police. He has no reason at all to trust you, or DDA Rios, or anyone else for that matter. We brought him into our home_," As she spoke, she gestured at Andy, pulling him into the conversation. He stood nearby, arms crossed over his chest, glowering at the pair in front of them. "_We have included him in our family, and because of that, Rusty trusts us. He would have come forward with these letters if the two of you had not so completely terrified him with the idea of being sent away. In all of this the one thing that _both_ of you have forgotten is that he is just a boy.__" _

"_You__'__re not going to move Rusty,_" Andy spoke up for the first time then. _"__You__'__re going to leave him where he is. The minute you move that kid, he__'__s gone. He__'__s done nothing to warrant being put in a juvenile facility and a group home won__'__t hold him. He__'__s too smart for that. Send him across the country in Witness Protection if you want, but it__'__s the same thing. He__'__ll be in the wind in a matter of days and then what happens? I__'__ll tell you what, you can kiss your damned trial goodbye. You are going to leave him where he is.__" _Andy pointed at Rios then_, __"__And you are going to stop running your damned mouth in front of him. You got a problem? You talk to us, or his social worker. You stop threatening a kid to make him do what you want. If it hadn__'__t been for you we would have known about all of this weeks ago._"

Taylor hadn't much cared for them getting in his face, and he fought back, but there was little that he could do. Legally they had the upper hand. They were Rusty's legal guardians. DCFS wasn't in favor of moving him out of a good and acceptable home at the whims of the LAPD or the District Attorney's office.

Then Sharon did what she did best. She hit him with the logic of it, the facts that he couldn't ignore or turn a blind eye to. They were going to have to protect Rusty now. The threats were escalating. There was a very real possibility that this was no longer witness intimidation, but rather a real and dangerous threat. Rusty already lived with two police officers, there was half of his protection, easily and freely provided. Her team could pick up the slack, and Andy volunteered his too. What he needed was someone who could watch his back when they could not. They couldn't keep their eyes on him every second.

A patrol car outside the house when Rusty was home, a security detail the rest of the time. It was limited, it was affordable. In return, to make it easier for the two-man security detail to watch Rusty, Sharon and Andy were pulling him out of school. He would have to complete his senior year via another option. Rios wasn't happy. They didn't really give a damn. She couldn't argue with the fact that her own attitude had led to all of this. Even Taylor had agreed with that. She had managed to scare the boy into his silence. No more. Taylor was threatening to call over to the DA's office and try to get the Stroh case reassigned. That shut her up quickly.

After the meeting with Rios and Taylor, halfway through which Rusty had arrived, it was a matter of dealing with the teenager himself. The law was put to him, in front of the Chief and DDA. Then Sharon had taken him home.

_Home_.

Andy had to go back to work after the meeting. There wasn't much time to talk to Rusty afterward. His team got a call out. He had promised there would be a conversation when he joined them later in the evening. The kid was sullen when he left, but at least he knew when he got home, the kid would be there.

The patrol car was parked in front of the house when Andy finally pulled into the drive. He flashed his badge and ID before he walked into the house, glad that they were taking it seriously. Once inside, Andy shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it across the back of the sofa. He swept a hand over the puppy's head when he came over to greet him and looked around.

"He's upstairs." Sharon was seated on the floor, she had an arm wrapped around Joey as he stood beside her, the coffee table in front of them. They had a small, wooden train set put together, playing with it. He'd already had his bath and was dressed in his pajamas. "He's in his room."

_In his room_. Yes, that was the most important part. He was safe, and he was home. They were going to keep him there. Andy nodded as he met his wife's gaze. He exhaled quietly and walked around to stand at the end of the sofa. "Alright. Let's get it done."

Sharon stood and swept Joey into her arms. She settled him on her hip and walked over to stand in front of her husband. "I'll take Joey up to bed first." She looked at her son and smiled when he reached for his father.

"Hey bud." Andy lifted him and held him for a moment. "Looks like you were having fun. Guess it's bedtime now. We'll try to hang out tomorrow, okay?" He held onto him for a moment longer, let the simplicity of a goodnight hug calm him. Then he handed the boy back to his mother.

She smiled sadly as she settled him into her arms again. Sharon moved toward the stairs with him. "I'll just be a minute. Finn," she called the puppy to her. Together they went up the stairs, the floppy eared bull dog bounding up the stairs ahead of her.

Despite the cloud hanging over their heads, she kept Joey's bedtime routine as normal as she could. She read him a story, and then she tucked him in. Finn stretched out alongside him on the narrow bed. Sharon shook her head as she walked around the room, picking up toys that the dog might decide to chew. They'd already lost one stuffed animal to his young, puppy exuberance. It surprised her a little that Finn would stay in Joey's room during the night, but he seemed content enough, and with the baby gate at the top of the stairs closed, both boy and dog were contained on the second floor until morning.

They tried kenneling him during the night, but the puppy would whine. That only proved to upset Joey, and so they had given up on that idea. Sharon waited until Joey was drifting off before she slipped quietly out of his room. She pulled the door behind her until it was only cracked a couple of inches. Then she walked quietly down the hall. She stopped in front of Rusty's door and took a deep breath. Her eyes closed.

He was so unhappy, and so frightened. She wished that she could make that better but this situation had spiraled out of control. He needed to understand where he'd gone wrong with it. They could blame Emma for frightening him into silence, and use that as their way of holding on to him, but at the end of the day he should have come to them. Rusty should have said _something_. She couldn't ignore that. They couldn't deny the serious nature of the situation that his silence had created.

Sharon exhaled quietly as she knocked on his door. She waited for the summons before she pushed it open. Her eyes found him easily. He was seated at his desk, slumped over his books, but not really studying. When he looked up at her, his sad gaze tugged at her heart. Sharon pressed her lips together. She returned his gaze for a moment. "Come downstairs, please," she said, speaking quietly, voice thick.

Rusty nodded quietly. He slipped out of his chair and walked toward the door. His shoulders were slumped and his head bowed. He'd known this was coming, they had told him as much. He moved past Sharon and through the gate at the top of the stairs. He waited halfway down while she closed it again. _Whatever happens next, know that we love you_. His gut twisted again, while his chest clenched painfully.

With Sharon following him again, Rusty finished moving down the stairs and into the living room. He looked around, but the room was empty. "This way." Sharon walked past him and into the kitchen. They didn't want to wake Joey if the conversation got too heated.

Andy was there, leaning against a counter. He still wore the dark vest over his green shirt, but he had loosened his tie. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, and as Sharon and Rusty entered the kitchen, he held out a cup of tea for her. Their eyes met as she took it. He read the determination there, and the underlying sadness. His hand moved down her arm as he pushed away from the counter. He walked forward to stand near the center island. "Take a seat," he told Rusty.

The teenager slipped onto one of the stools. His hands rested against the edge of the granite countertop of the island. He sighed quietly. He shook his head as he looked between them. "Look, I know what I did—"

"Do you?" Andy set his mug on the surface of the island and leaned against it. "Do you really have any idea what you did?" He scowled at the boy. "We talked about it when you got the first letter, Rusty. You knew it was a big deal and you hid the rest of them anyway."

"We haven't asked a lot of you, Rusty." Sharon wrapped her hands around the tea mug, let the warmth seep into them. "I don't think that being honest with us would have been a hardship. When during the last year that you've been with us have we ever given you the impression that you couldn't come to us about anything, much less something this serious?" She met his gaze and smiled sadly. "That's the part that bothers us most. We have always been truthful with you. We expected the same in return."

"You didn't like losing some of your freedom and living in a police state," Andy said. "We get it. We tried to keep it as simple as possible, and we've tried to let you have a little freedom whenever we could. If this nut job really wants to get at you, he could have done it. He had ample opportunity the last couple of months. Dammit Rusty!" Sharon touched his arm and he looked away, growling softly. He reined in the frustration as much as he could, but his dark eyes burned. "Things are going to change."

"We're not just talking about the items that we discussed in Chief Taylor's office this afternoon," Sharon explained. "Those stipulations were to satisfy the department and the DA's office. Now you're going to need to make some concessions here. If you want us to trust you again, Rusty, you're going to have to earn it."

"You're grounded," Andy said simply. He watched the emotions that played across the boy's face. "We can't take the computer or the phone, for obvious reasons. You're going to be finishing the year online, and you need the phone in case something happens." He pointed at the kid. "You go to the station, you come here. You do your homework, and that's it. The computer gets put up. You use the phone in case of an emergency. No texting. You call anyone? It better be one of us or one of the team."

"No tweeting," Sharon said. "No facebook."

Rusty stared at them. His jaw hung open. "For how long?" His hands gripped the edge of the island harder. "What am I going to do? I can't go to school, I can't see my friends," not that he had many of them, "am I supposed to just sit around here or the police station and do _nothing_?"

"You can think about what you did wrong," Sharon said. It really was a bit of a cliche, but in this instance, he needed to understand where he made his mistake. "It isn't forever, Rusty. There have to be some very real consequences for your actions. You put yourself in danger, and by extension, you put others in danger. Coupled with that, you lied to us. A lie by omission is still a lie, Rusty."

"She was going to send me away," he exclaimed. "What was I supposed to do? Emma was going to make me leave. I only hid them so that she couldn't put me in witness protection or some stupid thing like that. I wasn't trying to lie to anyone!"

"Yeah, but she's not sending you away is she?" Andy pointed out. "We took care of that, which we could have done months ago, and maybe we could've caught this dirtbag by now. Who knows. We told you then that you could stay. We meant it, Rusty. A few more letters wouldn't have changed it."

"Then why does it even matter?" Rusty glared at them. "Why am I even here. You can get rid of me now, it was the perfect chance. If you're so mad about it, then why'd didn't you let Emma do what she wanted?"

"Because this is your home," Sharon said quietly. She smiled sadly at him. "We aren't sending you away, Rusty, because you have a place here with us. Yes, we're angry about what you've done, but that doesn't change anything. I doubt very much that this is the last time that you will ever anger us, it's just the way things go. We'll never ask you to leave because of that. Rusty…" She trailed off and looked away. A hand slipped beneath her hair as Andy cupped the back of her neck. She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "No matter what else happens," she continued, "whether you want it or not, you will always have a home with us."

"Something we think you want," Andy stated. "Or you wouldn't have hidden the letters. You wouldn't be so worried about being sent away. So yeah, you get to stay, kid. But we can't have this happening again. We are responsible for keeping you safe. Doesn't matter what it is, Phillip Stroh, crazy letter writers, or crossing the damned street. It's our job to keep _you_ safe." He pointed at him. "We can't do that if you're lying to us. If you're hiding things. Yeah, we've all got crap in our pasts. We all have secrets we're keeping, but some of them, they aren't necessary at all, Rusty. Don't ever lie to us again."

Rusty's shoulders slumped. He stared at the granite surface of the island for several moments. When he looked up at them, they were both still watching him closely. They were angry, but they looked kind of sad too. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. There was nothing else that he could say, nothing that had not already been said.

"We know." Sharon walked around the island and lay a hand on his shoulder. "We don't want to be unnecessarily hard on you, Rusty. We do want you to be safe, and successful, and happy. It's the same that we want for all of you. Okay?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "I understand." He looked at his hands for a moment. "I don't have to like it, right?"

"Nope." Andy lifted his coffee again. "We don't have to like any of it. It just has to be done." He wasn't a bad kid, but he could be a reckless one. But then, that was true of most teenagers, wasn't it? "Now, it's late," he said. "Go to bed, Rusty. You'll have to be up early to go to the station."

"You're meeting the security detail tomorrow," Sharon explained. "Who you will not go anywhere without, understood?" She felt like they needed to reiterate that point.

"I understand." He was going to have a constant shadow. It was one of the things they'd promised so he could stay with them. "I just hope they're not, like, robots," he said, already sliding off his stool. "If they're going to be following me around all the time, they will have _some_ kind of personality?"

"I think given the circumstances," Sharon said gently, "We'll just have to take what we're given and be glad for it."

Rusty snorted as he turned away. "Yeah alright." He shook his head. "Get what you get, and don't throw a fit," he muttered, repeating what they told Joey when he didn't like the toys that came in his kids meals. "This sucks."

"It does." Sharon leaned her hip against the island. "It is what it is, Rusty. We're going to make the best of it."

"I guess it doesn't really matter." Rusty glanced back into the kitchen. "You know, as long as I can stay."

Sharon hummed as he left. She turned and bent. Her elbows rested against the surface of the island. She sighed heavily. "Well… that wasn't so bad."

Andy snorted at her sarcasm. "One teenager down." He arched a brow at her and lifted his coffee to his lips.

She groaned. Her head bent. "One still left to put us through our paces…"

"You know something," Andy walked around to stand beside her. "By then, we'll both be going through our second childhoods, so if we can't beat him, we can just join him." He wrapped a hand around her arm and tugged her to him. When she straightened, he wrapped an arm around her and held her close.

"Don't you mean your fourth childhood?" Sharon wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her face against his neck. "I think you've already had two or three of them, if the stories I've heard are anything to go by. How else can you explain all of the trouble that you and Provenza get into on a regular basis."

"Just lucky I guess." He placed the coffee back on the counter and wrapped both arms around her. One hand stroked her back, the other moved into her hair. "He's going to be okay." Andy didn't know if either of them really believed that right now, but it was worth reminding themselves anyway. They wouldn't let anything happen to him, not if they could help it.

"Yes." She tipped her head back and smiled at him. "I just wish it wasn't necessary at all. He's come a long way, but everyone keeps forgetting that he's just a boy. He deserves a normal life. I don't know how we're ever going to give him that with this trial hanging over his head."

"Same way we do everything else." Andy shrugged. "We do the best we can with what we've got."

Her brow arched. Some of the sparkle returned to her eyes. "To hell with everyone else?" She smiled up at him. "That certainly sounds like a Flynn philosophy."

"See," He smirked. "You're learning. Only took you two years. My god, what a woman." His hand landed playfully against her hip. "We'll make a Flynn out of you yet."

"Oh?" Her brows lifted. She laughed. "I thought we were trying to make a Campbell out of you?"

"Nah. You're outnumbered. It's me and Joey, you can't fight us both. Just go with it." He kissed the top of her head.

"Hm." Her hands rested against his waist, above his belt where his gun and badge still remained. He hadn't even bothered to remove them yet. Sharon let her head fall to rest against his chest. "Well then, I suppose I'd better get used to the idea." She stood there for a moment, then she tipped her head back. "Now… About my Sergeant Elliot…"

"Oh hell…" Andy winced. He should have known she wasn't going to forget about that. Now it was his turn to get it.

Rusty was safe for the moment. Their lives were going to change a bit to accommodate the added security, but it wasn't a hardship. They could do it if it meant keeping him safe. Life didn't stop, though, just because teenagers were frightened and reckless. It kept moving. They had to _keep_ it moving. It was the only way to cope with the downs, by creating more highs.

They were going to make it. It wouldn't be easy, but it was worth it. This family of theirs… with _both_ of their boys.


	39. Chapter 39

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 38 - The Present<strong>

"_Love is fighting for those you care about. Strength is being able to let them go.__" _

It was a quiet, narrow little room with only a few rows of seats. He was not a man that often prayed, but while the kids were sitting with Sharon, Andy slipped away. He checked on Nicole and Charlie, and he called to check on Joey. His boy didn't understand why mom and dad weren't coming home, why they'd been gone so long. Andy didn't know what he was going to tell him if Sharon didn't come home at all. There seemed to still be some question in that.

They hadn't lost her yet, and she hadn't coded again. She didn't seem to be improving either. The doctors wanted to take her off the ventilator. The longer that she was on it, they said, the harder it would be to remove later. The more likely that her body would become dependent on it, and then… well, then they would really lose her. But it was such a Catch-22. If they removed the ventilator now, she could die. If they didn't remove it, then she could die.

Andy didn't know what to do. They'd told him to take some time and think about it. He was letting the kids sit with her while he did that. Emily and Ricky, and Rusty… the three of them were now occupying her room, hoping for some sign that she would begin to improve. Hoping for the best.

He had wandered the hospital, letting his thoughts run free. He was trying to imagine a world without her in it, and he just couldn't. It made his chest seize up and his heart stop beating. He couldn't imagine going on without her. In just a few years she had become everything. With all that they'd been through together, all the ups and downs, it seemed impossible that it would come to this. He always imagined that he would leave her first. Hell, his liver was pickled, his blood pressure was too high, and he took more chances than he should. She could do it though, Sharon was the strong one. It wasn't him. He wasn't meant to be left alone in this world without her.

What was he going to do?

Andy ended up in the small hospital chapel before he realized that's where his steps had taken him. Sharon went to mass, she took Joey and Rusty with her, and when the kids were in town, Ricky and Emily went too. He went occasionally, but it wasn't a place that he was comfortable with. It was something that he accepted for her sake, rather than his own.

He was praying today. He hadn't stopped. Not really. There seemed to be a constant mantra playing out in the back of his mind. _Please God, don__'__t take her from me_… So it seemed only fitting that he would end up in the chapel. Andy took a seat halfway down the short aisle. The bench was hard beneath him, but he didn't feel it. He was staring straight ahead, trying to figure out what he was meant to do next.

"_Will he even remember her?_"

Rusty was right. Andy could try, but how would Joey ever know his mother if he let her slip away from them? How would he ever know what she went through for him. How hard she fought or how much that he was loved. They could tell the stories, hell, he could tell their son every day, but it wasn't the same thing. Nothing could replace Sharon in his life. Telling him about Sharon would not be the same as her laying beside him, reading a story at bedtime. It would not fill the gap created if she was not the one to sit and play with him in the evenings. Stories wouldn't cut the crusts off his sandwiches or take him to the park. The stories wouldn't know that he didn't like wearing yellow or green, or that red was his favorite color. They couldn't sooth him when he was scared, or sing to him when he was sick.

Maybe that was hardest of all. Not just losing his wife, but watching his son lose his mother.

_Please God__…_

Movement beside him drew Andy's attention. He looked up and his eyes widened in surprise at the man who sat beside him on the bench seat. He blinked slowly, a bit owlishly. He thought maybe if anyone came looking for him it would be Provenza, maybe Charlie. Nicole would have been more likely. This was probably the last thing that he expected.

"Brenda Leigh told me." Clay Johnson settled on the bench with a sigh. "We got here a little while ago. After she makes the move to DC we won't have a lot of time to visit, not all of us together. So I came out to see her and Fritz before the move." He explained his presence in Los Angeles, then he shrugged. "Fritz came home and told her what happened. He thought she'd want to know, maybe drop by. I figured I'd tag along."

Andy slowly turned his gaze forward again. He stared at the back of the bench in front of them. "She's barely hanging on."

"Yeah. That's what Lieutenant Provenza told Brenda Leigh when we got here. The doctors said she might not make it." Clay shook his head. Hell of a thing. Losing a wife. They were young. Maybe not by their standards, but he was old enough to be... well, maybe not his father, but hers probably. She wasn't much older than fifty. A couple of years, maybe.

The ache in his throat throbbed. Andy nodded. "They want me to take her off the ventilator. I don't know what to do. If she stays on it, she'll die. If we take her off…"

"She'll die." Clay finished for him. His hands were clasped in his lap. He nodded slowly. "Not an easy choice."

"No." He drew a breath past the ache in his chest. Maybe there was a reason for everything after all. Who would know better than the man beside him just how hard it was? "How do I let her go?"

Clay looked at him. Then he shook his head. "You don't." It had taken him the longest to figure that out. "She's never gone. She'll always be there. You're not letting her go, just… looking away for a while. You'll see her in your kids. Hear her when they laugh. She'll be there in a sunrise. You'll remember her in a sunset. She's never gone."

Andy drew a thin, shaking breath. It rattled through him. He leaned forward and let his head fall into his hands. This was too much, the ache that pushed through him. "I was never supposed to love her. She was sure as hell never supposed to love me. It wasn't supposed to happen at all. Now here we are… just four years later. It wasn't enough."

"Never is." Clay studied the front of the chapel. "Four years or forty. It's never enough. It's not the amount of time that matters, it's what you did with it." He looked at the other man finally. He knew that pain. Knew it all too well. "Hiding in here's not going to make it any better. The kids have to see you. They need to know that you're still going. It's going to hurt like hell, and part of you is going to want to curl up and join her, but the kids still need you. That's how you do it. Not for her. You do it for them." Clay looked at his hands again. "As long as she's laying there, she's hurting and so are they. So you do what she would."

His jaw clenched. Why did breathing have to hurt so much? Andy nodded slowly. "It's still going to hurt them. But she'd try and cut through it as much as she could. Take it on herself, protect them." He leaned back on the bench and exhaled past the lump in his throat. "As long as she's laying there, they're seeing her pain. As long as she's hurting, so are they. It'll hurt when she's gone, but it'll hurt them more to watch her linger." He knew what he needed to do. He was going to take her off the vent. Then it would be up to Sharon. She would keep fighting, or she would let go.

Clay sensed the decision when he reached it. He stood up. He watched the other man do the same thing. They left the chapel together, and walked in silence as they headed back to the waiting room. Neither of them really had a whole lot left to say. It had all been said.

When they reached the waiting room, Andy noticed that Sharon's kids had joined the others. His eyes swept over the three of them. Emily and Ricky, Rusty seated between Provenza and Julio. On the other side of the waiting room, Fritz and the Chief sat. Her father joined them. He met Brenda's gaze and nodded once before he continued moving toward the kids. There would be time to talk later, he needed to fill the kids in on his decision first.

"They're changing her dressings," Emily explained. "They kicked us out for a little while. We can go back in half an hour."

Andy nodded as he came to a stop in front of them. When Rusty joined them, he glanced over at his own kids. Nicole stood up and walked over to wrap an arm around his waist. Andy slipped one of his around her shoulders. Charlie was on Ricky's other side and leaned forward, an expectant expression on his face.

He studied the floor for a moment before he lifted his gaze. "We're going to take her off the vent," he said quietly. Andy watched Emily's head drop and felt Nicole's sharply indrawn breath. He looked over at Sharon's parents, hands clasped tightly together. "She'll keep fighting, or we'll have to let her go, but the doctors think it's best. I don't know if they're right." He looked at Emily and Ricky again, and then at Rusty. "But I know your mother, and this isn't what she'd want. I don't know what's going to happen. She's stubborn as hell, but you're going to want to say goodbye. Just in case this is bigger than she is."

Rusty shook his head. When the ache of tears wouldn't be stopped, he turned and walked away from all of them. His pace quickened as he reached the door of the waiting room and he jogged toward the elevators at the end of the hall.

"Rusty!" Emily stood up as he left them. She started to go after him but a hand caught her arm.

"Let me." Buzz looked down at her. His eyes were red and shining with barely contained moisture. He stroked her arm. "Stay with your family. I'll get him."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"He'll be okay." Buzz shrugged. "Rusty just doesn't like people to see him upset. That's all."

"Yes." Emily smiled sadly. "I know my brother." She watched him go and when she looked up, she found Andy staring at her. Emily sighed. "It's kind of a long story."

"He was helping Rusty study for his senior midterms last Christmas, you were home. You spent some time together, went out a couple of times, and that was that." Andy shrugged. He made a face at her. "Your mother had it figured out before you went back to New York, kid."

Tears filled her eyes again. Emily gave him a watery smile. "She always knows everything."

"Yeah," Andy rasped quietly. He pulled her over to stand with him and Nicole, wrapped his other arm around her. "She figured you'd say something if or when you wanted to. It was none of our business. But it was kind of obvious, even to me, when you were suddenly flying home once a month, every month. You don't like us that much."

She turned her face into his shoulder with a wet chuckle. "Always liked you just fine. Not bad for an evil step dad." She lifted her head again after a moment. Emily's eyes were filled with sadness. "Thank you," she whispered, "For loving our mom. She was happy, even if it was just for a little while."

"Don't count her out yet." Ricky was leaning forward, arms braced against his knees. "She's not gone yet, Em. Let's just give it a little while longer before we start talking about her like she is. It's not fair." He shrugged. "Let's not give up until it's _time_ to give up. You know?"

"No one is giving up," Andy said. "We're just giving her a chance. Sometimes, Rick, when you hold on too tight, you do more harm than good."

"Rusty," Nicole whispered. She met his gaze when he looked down at her. "We almost did that with Rusty last year. Everyone was so worried about him, we all missed the obvious."

"Yeah." Andy sighed. "I don't want to do that again." He didn't want to lose her at all. Doing what was best for Sharon… that meant doing what was best for the kids too. Her kids might be her weakness, but they were also her strength. She would fight harder for them than she would anything or anyone else. "Okay." He let go of Emily and Nicole. "I'm going to go and talk to the doctor… Emily, go and make sure that Buzz found Rusty." Then, while he had a few minutes alone with her, he would sit with his wife and will her into hanging on, just a little while longer.

Just one more tomorrow wasn't enough. He wanted her to fill all of his tomorrows.


	40. Chapter 40

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 39 - Well you see, what happened was... <strong>

"Do they have to be here all the time?" Rusty stared glumly at the unmarked car that was parked across the street. "It's like, the weekend," he said. "You and Sharon are both home. Couldn't they go somewhere else?"

In the months since his hidden letters had been revealed, the security detail had become Rusty's constant shadow. There was a patrol car parked further down the street, and at regular intervals they would walk the neighborhood or check the perimeter of the privacy fence that surrounded the backyard. Rusty was tired of seeing them. More to the point, he was tired of them seeing _him_. They were always watching, and it just felt awkward. How could a person have a normal life if they were constantly being watched.

Andy and Sharon acted like they didn't even notice the officers were there anymore. They just went about life as usual and that was that. Which was probably why Andy was cursing and muttering while trying to untangle the Christmas lights. Rusty rolled his eyes as another tangled glob of lights was tossed aside. Ricky and Charlie had taken them down last year, and apparently they didn't put them back the way they should. Hence the tangled mess they were faced with now.

It was way too hot to be putting up Christmas lights anyway, Rusty thought. It was more than eighty degrees outside. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. He sighed. "I think this is the part where I'm supposed to remind you that Sharon asked you to take them down and you didn't. So she asked Charlie and Ricky to take them down and they did. You know, because you wouldn't let her do it… and she wouldn't let me do it. So then it was a thing. But if you had taken them down, it wouldn't be a thing." He shrugged when Andy glared at him. "What? Dude, she is totally the keeper of the allowance."

"Dude." Andy tossed a wadded up ball of lights at him. "Work on those." He paused for a moment and then added, "She isn't the only one in charge of the allowance, just for the record." At Rusty's snort and look of disbelief, Andy shook his head and went back to trying to work through the mess of another string of lights. He might have a point when it came to Sharon. She was definitely the boss of them, _both_ of them. "Yes, the security detail has to be here," Andy went on to explain, for probably the hundredth time. He tried to keep the frustration out of his tone, but Andy looked up at the teenager and fixed him with a look. "Sharon or I could get pulled away at any time, its better if they are already here." He stopped short of reminding Rusty that with the security detail there, the boy got to stay too. He did sigh in frustration, however, because the lights were hopelessly tangled. "What the hell is the point of keeping the racks if they don't even bother to use them." He tossed the lights down again.

Rusty's brows rose. He fixed an amused look on his foster dad. "Um, maybe because Sharon was hinting last year that she wanted the new LED lights?" He smirked. "What's the point anyway? They're just going to be up for a couple of weeks, then you'll be back out here taking them down again."

Andy shook his head. "Rusty, when your wife asks you to put up the Christmas lights. You put up the Christmas lights."

"But you don't take them down when she asks?" He grinned crookedly.

Andy glowered at him. "Funny."

"Hey, I'm just trying to follow the Flynn logic." Rusty shrugged. "Not my fault it's all twisty."

"No logic here." Andy put his hands on his hips and surveyed the box the lights had come out of. It was all pretty much a lost cause. "Just Sharon finding a way to get what she wants. Alright, to hell with it." He started picking up the wadded up strings. "Grab those, will you?" Andy walked over and dropped them into the garbage cans. "Get in the car, kid. We're going to the store."

"Uh…" Rusty stared at him. "Maybe we should tell Sharon that we're going? And you could, like, actually get your keys?"

The way the kid was smirking at him had Andy rolling his eyes. "No? You think so? Well, I was thinking I could just push the car while you steered it," he deadpanned.

"Oh yeah," Rusty snorted. "Because Art and Bart over there wouldn't think that's weird at all."

Andy stared at him for a moment. Then he shook his head as he turned away. "You are spending way too much time with Provenza."

"Funny." Rusty grinned as he followed him into the house. "He says I spend too much time with you!"

"I think you need to start coming down to Robbery Homicide in the afternoons when you finish studying with Buzz." Andy snorted. "I think all that Major Crimes arrogance is getting to you."

"I think that's funny coming from you," the teenager shot back.

"Boys." Sharon sat at the small writing desk in the corner of the family room. She had a home office, but for little things, like bill paying and balancing the household account, she preferred the family room. It was more conducive to letting Joey play, since all of his things were already there. That and it allowed her to keep an eye on her _other_ _kids_ too. Sharon looked up at them over the rims of her glasses. There was a smile playing at her lips, but she managed to suppress it. "Do I need to put you in separate corners?"

"He started it," they both said.

Sharon snorted quietly. She shook her head as she turned her attention back to the household account and her laptop. She was using the quiet of a rare, uneventful Saturday afternoon to get a few chores done. Chief among them, paying a few small bills and balancing the accounts. "It's only been fifteen minutes, you can't tell me the lights are already up." As she spoke, she glanced at where Joey sat playing, Finn beside him. The dog was chewing on one of his own toys while Joey moved a small wooden train around on a circular track.

"They're not." Rusty shoved his hands into his pockets. "The lights are toast."

"They aren't salvageable." Andy pointed a finger at her. "Which you probably already know, since I'm sure you told the boys to just toss them in the bin when they got done, it would be fine. Now they're a tangled up pile of trash."

She laughed quietly. "Yes, because I can see into the future and I knew that was going to happen and that you would decide on replacement rather than repair." Sharon looked at him over the rims of her glasses, her eyes were sparkling, but her brow was raised in a way that indicated he should tread carefully. "You give me entirely too much credit, darling."

"Nope." He walked over and leaned over the end of the desk, hands braced against it's edge. "But I am going to get you the new lights that you wanted. The kid and I are going to spend the rest of our Saturday putting them up for you. Happy now?"

The sarcasm in his tone just made her smile wider. "I am." Sharon perched on the edge of her chair and leaned against her elbows on the desk. "I am indescribably pleased that you are finally putting up the lights as I asked. Even if that means a trip to the home improvement store to make it happen." She tapped the end of her pen against her lips. "Since you haven't gotten to asking yet, and I know you will, because you're so interested in how I am spending _my_ Saturday. I am going to sit here and finish balancing these accounts and make the AmEx payment for the suit that you just bought, which by the way… never comment on my shoe habit again. You, sir, have a suit habit." She pointed her pen at him. "I have never spent that much on a single pair of shoes in my entire life."

His head inclined. Andy snorted at his wife. "No, but you spend that much on shoes and a matching purse every time I let you out of this house with Gavin, or Nicole, or Vicki, _or_ Emily. Actually, now that I think about it," he pointed a finger at her, "You do that just running to the mall to pick up new jeans for the kid. I'm starting to think I can't let you out of my sight."

Sharon's lips pursed. "Oh goody," She simpered. "You can come with me to the salon later, hold my purse like a good husband."

Andy shook his head at her. "Are you trying to pick a fight right now?"

"Hm." She hummed quietly. Her eyes were still sparkling. Sharon considered that for a moment, then she fluttered her lashes at him. "That could be an accurate summation of both our current moods, yes."

"I see." He arched a brow at her. "Then can we do it later? I want to get out of here and get back before we lose too much afternoon. You know, since you want those lights up so damned bad." A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Ah." She tapped her pen against her lips again. "I see. Well…" Sharon leaned closer to him. "I have a hair appointment at three, but I can pencil you in at six. We can argue before I start dinner."

"Let's make it eight," he countered with a smirk. "We'll do it after Joey goes down for the night. Then we can move right into making up without any interruptions."

Her head inclined toward him. "That would be a more efficient management of our time, yes. I think I can work with that."

"Good." He planted a kiss on her mouth before he straightened. "I'm taking Joey with me, then.

Her brows shot up. "The three of you loose in the home improvement store together?" Sharon made a face at him. "Oh dear."

Andy pointed a finger at her again. "Mess with me and I'll call Charlie to join us."

"Do it," her eyes glittered with mischief, "and we'll have more to _talk_ about at eight."

"Oh my god." Rusty's hand smacked against his forehead. "You're scheduling your arguments now. It's like _date night_. You really are an old married couple!"

They both looked at him. Andy's eyes narrowed. "Let's move that argument to nine, we're going to pencil in grounding the kid at eight."

"Deal." Sharon laughed quietly as she turned back to her accounting chore.

Rusty rolled his eyes at them. Like that would happen. "You never ground me when you know I'm right," he smirked back at them and folded his arms over his chest. "Can we go now? I'm going to a movie with Buzz tonight, remember?"

"Better get a move on," Sharon said, without looking up this time. "If you want to be teenager free this evening…"

The innuendo wasn't lost on him. Andy smirked as he walked over to lift Joey. "Come on, son. We're off to make all of your mother's holiday decoration dreams come true." His tone still dripped with sarcasm, but he was teasing her now, and they both knew it. He settled Joey in his arms and walked around to pick up his bag. "Finn, stay here," he said when the dog began jumping around his legs.

Rusty waited until they were in the car and halfway down the block before he slanted a look at Andy. "We should get inflatables for the yard. She'd love that."

She would actually hate it. Sharon thought inflatable holiday decorations were tacky. Andy laughed. He pulled out his phone to call his son. He smirked as he put it on speaker phone. "Charlie, hey… Rusty and I are headed to the home improvement store. We need lights and a few other things. Can you spare an afternoon to help us deck out the house? I was thinking of making it a surprise for Sharon…" He slanted a look at Rusty and grinned crookedly. "She's been after me for over a week to get this done, and I'm trying to get out of the doghouse, if you know what I mean… I just keep thinking that I can do better than lights."

"You mean, you need my truck and an extra pair of hands?" Charlie laughed. "I've got a date tonight, but yeah… I can give you a few hours, dad. Actually, don't go to that place out in Echo Park. There's a wholesale place out close to Santa Monica that my company uses. I was in there the other day and they were going crazy with the decorations on sale. Meet me there. I'll send you the address."

Andy tossed a thumbs up at Rusty and smirked. "It sounds great, son. I'll see you in about half an hour."

For the first time in a long time, Rusty didn't care that there was a car following them, or that they would be tailed all the way through the store by his security team. He laughed. If the look on Andy's face was any indication, they were all going to be in a heap of trouble before the day was over. Sharon was going to kill them.

He shook his head and said as much. "You know she's going to absolutely loathe it all, right?"

"Oh hell yeah." Andy continued to grin as he pointed the car toward Santa Monica and put his phone in the cupholder for the time being. "It's alright, we've got an appointment to argue later. It would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"I'm so glad I'm going out tonight, even if Buzz did pick the movie." Rusty looked into the backseat at Joey. "For the record, dude, weirdest parents _ever_."

"Dude. Weird." Joey grinned at them.

"Yeah, because Sharon's really going to love that you taught him _that_." Andy shook his head. He slanted a look at Rusty when the boy just laughed again. They'd had weeks, months even, of sulking and downcast behavior. He'd slipped his security detail a few times and that had only led to his being grounded. The last time that he did it, Andy sat him down and asked if he wanted to go into Witness Protection, because that was where he was headed if he didn't stop disappearing on the people who were meant to be protecting him. They would put him in the program themselves, Andy told him, if he didn't cut it out and _now_. Rusty hadn't done it again, but he was making everyone know just how unhappy he was about everything.

It couldn't be helped. They were coming up empty handed on finding the letter writer. They weren't any happier about the situation than he was. Hell, they had a car parked outside their house twenty-four-seven. It was uncomfortable as hell to go about their normal daily routines with officers watching them. After a while they learned to ignore them, Andy and Sharon pretended that they weren't there. Rusty had a harder time with that, but they could understand it.

The kid just wanted a normal life. It shouldn't be too much to ask for, but curve balls just kept being tossed in his way. They were doing their best to make it as normal for him as possible. He went out to the movies, granted it was with Buzz or Julio, and Provenza took him out for burgers whenever possible. They tried to gear family outings toward Rusty too, adding something that he would like, such as dinner down at the boardwalk, or a trip to the mall. His safety was always ever present on their minds, but he was a kid too. No matter his maturity level or how his past experiences had shaped him, he was still just a child, and he needed to live a child's life.

They were trying. They were _all_ trying. More than anything, they just wanted him with them. Sharon had gotten attached pretty much right away. It came more slowly for him, but Andy didn't want the kid going anywhere either. Rusty belonged with them. The harder they fought for him, the more that certain lines seemed to blur. His home was with them. There was still the specter of his mother hanging over their heads, but no one knew where she was. They were what he had, and Rusty had lived with them for more than a year now. They were vested in that kid.

He was vested in _them_.

Andy cast another sideways glance at the boy. He was playing some word game with Joey that Sharon had taught them. Something she had done with all of her kids. _Her kids_. More and more often she was including Rusty in group. She really loved that kid.

_He loved her_.

Sharon practically floated down to his office that day. It was the first time he'd said it. It was the first time that he acknowledged feeling anything but gratitude toward them and a general desire to stay where he was. She didn't usually come down to Robbery Homicide, typically Andy went to her. That wasn't the case on that particular day. She still wasn't too happy with how things worked out, Rusty's option three was still weighing heavily on both their minds, although a lot of things still needed to happen first. None of it really seemed to matter that much in that moment. She had to leave the Murder Room before her emotions became too visible and so she came to him. It might have seemed ordinary to anyone else, but for a kid like Rusty and with everything that they had been through with him, it was major. It was a huge step for them.

"_I want to get him through this, and then I want to adopt him_."

Sharon didn't want it on Rusty's mind while he was going through so much. It was on hers, though, and now it was on his. Finding the letter writer was more important, but when that was done, it was important that they show him that it wasn't only the trial that was important. They wanted him to know that no one would ever be able to take him away from them. He would always have a home. He would always have a family.

As soon as they knew he was safe again, they were going to do it. Not only because they _both _wanted to, but Andy just couldn't say no to his wife. Not when her eyes were moist and bright, shining with so much emotion that it filled an entire room. Not when she beamed at him, just for saying a simple, "_Yeah, sure, let__'__s do it_."

No doubt they still had a couple of hard months ahead of them, but they were going to handle it, and somehow they would make it all work out. They would accept nothing less.

At the moment, the only thing they had to worry about was Christmas decorations. Andy smirked again. As they drove across town he told Rusty that between the two of them and Charlie they would _National Lampoon_ the yard. That led to an explanation of what _National Lampoon_ even was. That ate up the rest of their drive.

By the time that Andy was pulling into the lot at the wholesale place Charlie told them about, he was shaking his head at the kid. He got out of the car and lifted Joey out of his carseat. They strode toward the entrance to the store and found Charlie waiting on them. Andy hooked a thumb at Rusty. "Kid's never seen National Lampoon."

Charlie snorted and shook his head. He had his hands shoved into his pockets. "That is kind of sad. Obviously he needs us." He tilted his head to one side and squinted at his dad. "You sure you want to do this?" He was trying to reconcile what he imagined his dad wanted to do to the yard with what he knew about his stepmother.

"Oh yeah." Andy grinned crookedly. "My darling wife needs a little help with her Christmas spirit this year."

"Oh god." Charlie laughed at the gleam in his father's eyes. "Well, let's make it worth it at least." He turned his gaze on his little brother. "Hey buddy!"

"Charl!"

Charlie took Joey from their father and tossed him over his shoulder, much to the toddler's delight. "Come on pal, let's go help dad dig his hole deeper."

"He's counting on that." Rusty followed along behind them. He cast a careful glance behind him and spotted his security detail. He sighed. Yep, they were still there. They were _always_ there. Rusty shook his head and hurried to catch up with the others, falling in step with Andy. "You know, they're actually scheduling their fights now. They've got one ready for tonight. It's kind of sad."

"Oh man." Charlie looked over at his dad and laughed. "So is that how you know the romance is gone? Is this kind of like date night? Let me guess," his dark eyes sparkled with mischief, "you even have certain nights for _other_ activities."

Andy snorted at them. "Okay, that's enough. We're not talking about this." He paused for a moment. "Sharon will shoot us all."

Charlie slanted a look at Rusty. "That wasn't a _no_."

"It's a sad thing," Rusty smirked. "When the romance goes and everything is on a schedule. I'm worried about them. Hey!" His eyes lit and he grinned widely. "We should get them a counselor. It's apparently the happening thing. Sharon does have this serious love of the mental health profession."

"Yeah okay." Andy shook his head at them. "You can be the one to tell her that, and _why _it is that you think we need it."

"I think we'll pass," Rusty decided.

"I think that's a great idea," Charlie agreed.

"Good." Andy watched Joey, hanging from his brother's shoulder and still laughing. "So let's do this and get it done while we can. She's got a hair appointment at three… that means she'll be gone by the time we get back with the stuff. She always has lunch Gavin, and they do a little shopping first. If I know my wife, she'll run a few errands afterward, so we've got time." He glanced at each of the boys and flashed a devious grin. "Plenty of time."

Rusty and Charlie shared a look. They were all going to get it. Somehow, it seemed kind of worth it.

The next hour was spent looking at decorations and picking out what they wanted. All of the items were loaded into the back of Charlie's truck. The boys stopped for lunch on their way home, and once they arrived, the work began.

Throughout the course of the afternoon, Rusty managed to forget all about his security detail as he helped to string lights and fill the yard with decorations. They left the garage door raised and set up Joey's play yard there, so that the boy could watch and _be_ watched while the others worked. It took several hours but they managed, somehow, to get all of it done in the time that they had allotted for themselves.

During that time, Rusty learned that two men could not be more alike than Charlie and his dad. They were both devious, funny, and sarcastic guys. They also swore at the same frustrations. Rusty had heard pieces of conversations, enough to know that they hadn't always been close and that the last few years was a big change for them in how their relationship worked. Watching them decorate the yard and house, seeing how they worked together made it hard to believe.

They had just finished clearing away the last of the trash and the tools when Sharon's silver sedan pulled into the driveway alongside Charlie's truck. Andy's car was parked on the street to make room for Charlie to back his truck in for easy unloading. As she got out of her car, Rusty shoved his hands into his pockets.

She stood beside the car for several on moments, just staring at the yard and the house. She blinked a few times, then she turned slowly. Her eyes found Andy. "Holding the baby isn't going to save you." She pointed at the yard. "_What_ did you do?"

There was a music playing, inflatable snowman to one side of the yard. It faced the street with it's colorful, smiling face. They also found a santa and reindeer, made of mesh wire and covered in bright, multi-colored lights. A trio of Angels stood in front of the flowerbed which bordered the front porch. The porch itself was decked out in lights, as was the rest of the house and the privacy fence which surrounded the yard. Although it was only late afternoon, Andy had flipped on the light switch that everything was tied into, just to make sure it all worked. Sharon was getting most of the full effect.

"You wanted the Christmas decorations up." Andy walked toward her, holding Joey. He had only just taken the boy out of his play yard. "I called Charlie and got the boys on it. Joey really wanted that snowman. I think it's great." He grinned at her. "The angels, well, you can never have too many angels right?"

"You certainly can't." Sharon stared hard at him. "Andy."

"Sharon." He smirked. "Oh come on, it's great. It's just what we needed this year." He paused for a moment, and then Andy went in for the kill. "I spent the whole day with my boys decorating the house. Even Joey helped with the porch. Rusty picked out those angels, he knows how much you love them. Come on, what isn't to love?"

_His boys_. Rusty shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at his feet. They included him, more and more often lately, and he still didn't know what to do with the warmth that spread through him each and every time. He scuffed his shoe in the grass and glanced up, through his lashes and a fringe of bangs that were needing to be trimmed. Sharon was looking at him now and he managed a small grin. "It was kind of great."

She huffed a sigh. How could she argue with that? The snowman was truly tacky, and just as soon as she could arrange it, that thing was going to have to go. They had gone seriously overboard with the lights. There wasn't a single eave or side of the house that wasn't covered. Even the fence was lit. Although, she had to note, he had gotten the tastefully colored LED lights that she asked for the previous year. They sparkled in alternating colors of white and pale blue. The only splash of color were the decorations in front of the house, with the multicolored santa.

Sharon reached for and pulled Joey into her own arms. She shook her head at her husband. "Saved by your sons," she told him. "At least for the moment. I'll deal with you later," she promised.

Andy rocked back on his heels and grinned. "Looking forward to it."

"I'm getting out of here before that starts." Charlie put his toolbox back in his truck and lifted the gate on it. Then he strode toward his stepmother. "Don't be too hard on the old man. The kid really got into it," he said quietly. He stooped and kissed her cheek and then ruffled Joey's hair. "I've got a date tonight, but I'll drop by later this week when I have more time to hang out. Bye buddy!"

"Bye Charl!" Joey waved. He couldn't quite put the full name together yet, but they were still working on it.

"Bye honey," Sharon offered a warm smile. "Thank you for helping out." She slanted a look at her husband as she said it.

"Hey, no problem." Charlie grinned as he slapped his dad's shoulder. "Good luck old man."

"Yeah, thanks son." Andy shook his head.

"Anytime. Later Rusty. I'll call you, we'll do something sometime this week." Get him away from the crazy old people. It was a wonder to him that the kid was still sane.

Rusty waved as he left. Then he looked at his foster parents. "Yeah, so… Buzz is picking me up soon. I'm going to go get ready." He made quick his escape.

With the boys gone, Sharon cut a look at her husband. Her eyes narrowed. She sniffed once and then turned on her heel and walked back to her car. She popped the trunk and began pulling bags out of it. She lifted her chin when he joined her and slapped a bag against his chest.

Andy looked into the bag and spied a shoebox. "You gotta be kidding me!" Sharon said not a word, simply hummed as she strode toward the house. Andy grunted as he pulled the other items out of the car. There were a couple of more shopping bags and she had picked up the dry cleaning. Andy also noted a couple of bags of groceries in the backseat. He came back for those and turned off the Christmas lights before lowering the garage door again.

His wife was already in the kitchen, getting ready to start dinner. Andy followed her in there after leaving her bags on the sofa. She was already emptying the grocery bags he brought in for her. Andy caught her around the waist and pulled her back against his chest. His head bent and he nuzzled her neck. "Eight o'clock?"

"Indeed." She smirked, even as her head inclined for him. "We are definitely going to be discussing that snowman."

"And those shoes," he promised with a grin. He set her away from him, but not without kissing the back of her head. He looked back at her over his shoulder as he left the room. Their eyes met. The saucy grin on her face had him winking at her. Andy left her in the kitchen and went to get cleaned up before dinner.

It was closer to nine o'clock before Andy finally strolled into their bedroom. "He's finally down." Joey had a big day and wasn't too keen on bedtime that night. His wife sat at the dressing table, going through her nightly routine. He stopped behind her and bent, a kiss was pressed against the top of her head. "I was worried about that when he missed his nap this afternoon, but it was worth it."

"Hm." She hummed quietly and turned sideways on the chair to watch him walk across the room. "Rusty seemed to have enjoyed himself. You even roped Charlie into your wild scheme."

"Well, we needed his truck." Andy grinned. "There was no way that snowman was going in the back of the car. Not with the other stuff."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "The snowman has to go."

"Oh come on," He smirked. "You love it." Andy's eyes glittered with humor as he watched her, even while he toed out of his shoes and changed for the night. "More important, Joey loves it."

"Oh no." Sharon arched a brow at him. "That's not going to work this time, Flynn. The snow man _is_ going. The rest can stay." She would concede on it, even if she thought it was a bit much. "That thing is hideous and you know it."

He laughed. "It is kind of bad. The look on your face when you saw it…" He shook his head as he walked into the bathroom that was attached to their room.

"Picking on your wife isn't the best way to stay in her good graces," Sharon called after him. She finished smoothing moisturizer into her face and hands and walked toward the bed to start turning it back.

"You were the one picking the fight," he shot back.

Running water drowned out the rest of what he mumbled at her and Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "I was simply pointing out a fact," she said. "He who spends exorbitant amounts of money on suits should not complain about what others do or buy."

"So you bring home another pair of shoes just to prove your point." Andy rejoined her. He stopped by the bed, hands on his hips, and shook his head. "You know, at this point, I think we should just both agree that we have lousy shopping habits and leave it at that."

Her lips pursed and her head inclined. Sharon pretended to think it over. "I could be persuaded to agree with that." Her eyes were sparkling as she watched him.

He loved the way that her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. Andy knelt on the bed. His arm snaked out and his hand caught her wrist. He tugged her toward him. "The boys are worried we have no spontaneity in our lives."

Sharon laughed as they dropped onto the bed, draped across it at an angle, their heads pointed toward the bottom corner. "I have two kids at home _and_ a Provenza," she drawled, "I don't have time for spontaneous."

Andy snorted. The pale blue, silk nightgown she was wearing was new. Something else she had gotten that afternoon, he was sure. It was short, barely reaching her thighs, with thin straps and a deeply scooping neckline. His head bent and he kissed her silk covered stomach. Then he stretched out alongside her and propped his head in his hand. He looked down at her, eyes shining. "When all this mess is done, we need to grab the kids and get out of here for a few days. All of us." His voice rumbled quietly in the room. They were going to be spending another Christmas in Los Angeles, but he knew she was missing the time spent at Park City with the rest of her family. After they caught the letter writer, he wanted to take her and the boys north, to Monterrey or San Francisco. Get them all out of LA for a while, especially Rusty.

"I think that would be a great idea," she said softly. "We have to stop the threat first." Sharon sighed quietly. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and shook her head. They'd talked about the letters until they were both blue in the face. Talking about it wasn't fixing it.

"We will." He swept a lock of hair away from her face. "Until then, keeping you both safe is all I care about." She was getting letters too, now, and that was something they were keeping from Rusty. So far nothing had been addressed to him, but the point was to intimidate, and whoever was writing the letters saw Sharon as the weaker link. The dirtbag was playing on her mother's love of Rusty to try and push his agenda. It wasn't going to work, of course, and only managed to piss a few people off that much more with the attempt. The idiot just didn't know who he was messing with.

"I am safe, Andy." Sharon stroked her hand up his arm after he let it drape across her middle again. "It's not me that he wants. I'm not even sure that it's Rusty he wants. It's a fear tactic, but he's escalating." Her eyes closed. "I just really hate the idea of putting Rusty in front of him in an attempt to catch him.

"I know." He stroked her stomach. "I hate it too. But you know, the kid would find a way. It's better if we've got control of it. I think he's been as patient as we can expect him to be. Pretty soon he's going to get antsy, and when that happens…"

"He doesn't always think about his actions." Sharon nodded. "Yes, I know." He was still so very young in so many ways, despite all that he had been through. "We just need to get him through this and get on with our lives."

"Yeah." He watched her, while his hand slid up her side. "On a plus side, you got the kid to agree to seeing a shrink. That's got to count for something. He needs it. Not just to clear him for the police action, but after everything he's been through. You know, with his mom, his dad, and all of it." Living on the streets, working the Boulevard. "He's not going to talk to us."

"No." She reached up and passed a hand over his hair. "Rusty thinks that the more we know about his past, the more that we will feel… I don't know. That it will color what we think of him. One day maybe he will understand that how we feel about our children doesn't come with conditions. At least it isn't meant to." She couldn't begin to understand his mother, or his father, and how they could treat him as they had. Her lips pursed. Her eyes softened as she looked up at him. "He had a good day?"

"Yeah." Andy shrugged. "I think so. The yard stuff was kind of his idea. He knew that you would hate it. It was all in good fun, though. I'll take the snowman down tomorrow, that one was kind of a joke. So was the santa. He really thought you'd like the angels though, since it's your thing."

"Hm." Her lips curved into a warm, affectionate smile. "I did. They are beautiful." She was more touched that Rusty thought of it. "Charlie helped." Her eyes lit with joy at that, and the way he grinned at the mention of it. It was still a marvel to him, that he was still getting closer to his older children. That it was no longer a fight to spend time with them. It just happened, in the way it was meant to happen.

"Well, he kind of adores you, so…" Andy shrugged it off, but it did nothing to diminish the smile on his face. "It was an okay day," he said finally. "Just too bad the kid will be back soon."

"Ah…" Sharon grinned at him. "Well, you see, he and Buzz went to dinner first and the restaurant made them late. So they decided to catch a later viewing of the movie. Rusty sent the text while you were in with Joey. I think we have a while yet before he'll be home."

"Oh yeah?" Andy arched a brow at her. "Hell woman, why didn't you say so?"

When he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, Sharon laughed, even as his hands went into her hair. "Well, you seemed to want to actually _talk_." Her eyes sparkled. "What kind of wife would I be to deny you?"

As she leaned over him, he gathered her hair and pushed it back from her face. "Good point, since you're only the best kind." He offered a wide, crooked grin.

"Excellent answer." She leaned down and kissed him. She was straddling his lap. When he sat up and curled an arm around her waist to reposition her against him, she hummed in response.

Perhaps they couldn't always be spontaneous, not with the kids in the house, and all that was going on currently with the situation of Rusty's safety and the threats. It was important that they make as much time for the boys as possible. Joey needed his parents, while Rusty needed as much normalcy as they could provide for him. At the end of it all, it was just as important that they make time for each other too. Even when that meant scheduling time to just be together as they were now.

Their lives were filled with stolen moments and rare, quiet evenings. They had date night and the occasional afternoon where all they did was run errands together. It kept them going. Reminded them what all of this was for. It was what they had, and it wasn't always perfect, but every moment was still precious.


	41. Chapter 41

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 40<strong>

The door slammed behind Rusty as he trudged into Flynn's office on the seventh floor. He dropped his bag onto the floor and then slumped into a chair. "I hate her."

Andy looked up. His brows rose. He looked at Rusty over the top of a pair of dark-rimmed reading glasses. He never bothered with glasses before, sometimes at home when he was reading the paper or a novel. At work, he never really needed them before. That was before he got pushed into a position where he had all this extra paperwork. Now days, he found it helped. He didn't go home with a headache, at least not one he could blame on the piles of reports that ended up on his desk. Except for those that were generated every time Major Crimes stole one of his cases. Andy had no problem putting that blame exactly where it belonged. At least in silence. Captain Raydor would always be a formidable opponent, no matter _who_ she was married to.

He sat a bit straighter in his chair as he watched the teenager. Rusty was in full sulk mode. Andy tapped the end of his pen against the open file on his desk. "You want to put a little more detail into that?" He asked, sarcasm edging into his tone. "It might help if I know which _her_ that you're talking about, kid. We're surrounded by quite a few of them." He fixed the teenager with a pointed look, one that said if it was the ultimate _her_ that he was coming to the wrong person with that attitude. They were a united front. Even when they disagreed, it was not something that they did in front of the kids. Not about the important things, at least. Sure, they had their little snark sessions, but if they were honest about it, they were flirting, playing mostly. Even at work, even before he was transferred, they kept their true disagreements out of view of the team. Yeah, there were moments when it was obvious. That couldn't be helped, but they were always careful to mind their conduct at work. They both still felt as though they were being watched. Even now, with him running his own team, well away from Major Crimes. Well... Andy slanted a look at a report that needed to be signed off and sent upstairs to her _Captainness_, maybe not _completely_ well away from Major Crimes.

Rusty rolled his eyes. "Creepy Emma." He blew his bangs out of his face and reminded himself that he needed to get them trimmed. "_What _is with her? _Why_ does she have to ruin my _entire_ life!" He threw his hands up in disgust. "I don't understand why she has to make everything that I do about her stupid trial. I bet I could go downstairs, right now, and get a ticket for, like, jaywalking or something stupid like that and she would say that I did it on purpose just to ruin her trial. My whole life is not about this trial!"

Okay, that made more sense. Andy pulled his reading glasses off and tossed them onto his desk. He leaned back in his chair. Rios was turning out to be a rather large pain in all of their asses. Despite what she said about trying to be less annoying, it wasn't working out that way. Every time that they turned around, there she was, putting something else in their way to stumble over. Andy sighed and shook his head. He couldn't blame the kid for being fed up with it. He was getting pretty close to that himself. "What happened?"

"She found out about the psych evaluation with Doctor Joe." Rusty folded his arms over his chest and slumped lower in the chair. "She's having a total cow about it. It's going to ruin her whole trial and she doesn't want me to see him again. Sharon is arguing with her about it right now. Like, what does it matter? Now she's all upset about the fact that I'm doing the police action and no one asked her permission? I'm sorry, I didn't realize that Emma was my legal guardian and sole ruler of my _entire life_!"

"Don't worry about Rios." Andy shook his head. "Sharon will deal with her. There's nothing that Emma can do to stop the police action either. You're the one getting the threats, and if Sharon and I consent to it, then…" He shrugged. "The DA's office can object, but there isn't really a whole hell of a lot that they can do. Otherwise Emma wouldn't be complaining so loud, she'd just do something. That's the thing that you've got to keep in mind, Rusty. Emma is all talk right now because she doesn't really have a leg to stand on where you are concerned. She got shut down. DCFS isn't going to let her move you to another placement, and they aren't letting her put you in Witness Protection. Let her run her mouth, Rusty. It's all she's got. The rest… well…" He picked up his pen and tapped it against his palm. "You know, she's dealing with Sharon, so I'd just say she's getting what she deserves there."

"It's just so stupid," Rusty muttered. "I mean, if she cares so much about what happens to people, or kids when they end up on the streets, then why doesn't she do something to change it? Emma doesn't care about anything but her trial. She doesn't care about what happens to _me_." He shook his head. "I'm just so tired of people lying to me. At least tell the truth about it. Don't try to hide your stupid ambition behind pretending to give a crap."

It was sad that the kid had to know that was what Emma was doing. Sad that he'd experienced so much of it in his life that it was so easily recognized. Andy shrugged. "Yeah, I hear you, kid. Listen, there's not a lot that you can do about it. That's not what you want to hear, I know. But what you gotta do is just… let us handle it, okay?" He leaned forward against his desk again. "Tell you what, Emma isn't going to come looking for you down here. Grab your stuff and find a corner. You can hang out down here for a while, at least until we get a call out or it's time to go home."

"Yeah okay." Rusty sighed. It wasn't hard to let go of. She just made him so mad, pretending she cared when she really didn't. He pushed up out of the chair and pulled his bag over his shoulder. He turned toward the door, but paused there. Rusty looked back. "Hey, Andy… She's not going to change her mind, right? Sharon, I mean. She said if the evaluation with Doctor Joe was okay that I could do the operation. Emma won't make her stop it, will she?"

"Doubtful." Andy slipped his reading glasses back on and looked at Rusty over their rims. "She doesn't like the idea, I won't lie about that kid. Sharon hates it. I don't much care for it either. It's not the best idea that any of us have ever had, but we can see the merit in trying. I wouldn't worry about it. The thing about Sharon is, she's damned stubborn. The more Emma comes at her, the more she's going to dig in her heels. I think we're okay there. Even if she does change her mind, she's not going to make anything definite without talking to both of us about it, okay?"

"Yeah." Rusty nodded. "Okay. I hope so, I mean… it's our best chance for getting rid of Art and Bart right?"

Andy grinned. "For now it is. Even if we don't do it, Meat and Ball won't be following you around forever. We're eventually going to find that dirtbag. Either with your help or without it. He's going to slip up at some point, Rusty, and then we'll have him. They always screw up eventually."

"It's the eventually part that worries me." Rusty turned again and walked back through the door. Robbery Homicide was a lot smaller than Major Crimes but he found an empty desk in a corner that he could set up at.

Andy watched him go. He shook his head and sighed quietly. "Yeah, that worries us too," he muttered. He tapped his pen against the file again, then he reached for his cell phone. He sent a quick text to his wife. _I__'__ve got Rusty. Everything okay?_

The response was a couple of minutes in coming. _Emma. I can__'__t talk now. Tonight?_

_Yeah. Joey? _It wasn't often that they could really talk during the day. They were both busy, although they tried to meet for lunch or coffee as often as possible.

_I__'__ll get him. Hang on to Rusty. Stop for dinner. No burgers! _

Andy snorted a laugh at that. He tossed his phone onto the desk and turned his attention back to the reports in front of him. She had them pegged, or Rusty at the very least. It never failed that burgers was his first choice for dinner. Andy looked up and glanced into his bullpen. He spotted Rusty easily enough, set up in an empty desk in the corner. The kid already had his books and laptop out. He didn't have the advantage of Buzz down here to help out, but it was insulated, safe from Emma at the very least. It would do for now. At the very least, neither Phillips or Elliot would mind helping the kid if he needed it, they were okay guys. Any of the others might balk, but he could count on those two.

That was the last thought he gave it before going back to his own work.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

When Andy and Rusty got home later that evening, the house was in chaos. The dog was barking, the toddler was yelling, and the family room was in disarray. That was nothing new.

The gate leading up the stairs was closed, as was the gate that blocked off the short hall which led to the utility room and Sharon's small home office. Even the dining room had been closed off. That meant that Joey had been given run of the first level, he could come and go between the kitchen and family room, and so could Finn. Between the pair of them, they managed to destroy the room. There was not a single toy left in the toy box. All of them were spread out between the two rooms.

Andy shook his head as he picked his way carefully through the mess. "You know, she's getting soft in her old age."

Rusty laughed. "Better hope she didn't hear that."

"I heard it." Sharon leaned back to look through the kitchen door at them. Her eyes found her husband and narrowed. "You do like living dangerously, don't you?"

Andy pointed at the mess on the floor. "Just pointing out you never would have allowed all this before. Actually, now that I think about it, you typically aren't so happy with _us_ when you come home and the house looks like this."

She sighed and shrugged. "It's been a day." She stepped out of sight again, but only for a moment. When she reappeared she was cradling a cup of tea. Her feet were bare but she hadn't changed yet. She still wore the loose, tan colored dress she had donned that morning. It wasn't her favorite, and not at all very flattering, but it had been comfortable. She moved to Rusty and lay a hand on his arm. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." He shrugged. "I hid downstairs where Emma wouldn't look for me. Was she really horrible after I left?"

She saw the concern in his gaze and smiled warmly at him. "No, she wasn't too horrible. I'm sure we haven't heard the last from her on this subject, but there really is nothing that she can do about it. I think that is why she is being so vocal about it. I do believe she will be a lot more reticent about approaching the situation with you nearby in the future. I've made it clear that I'm willing to discuss her misgivings but her attacks are doing nothing but managing to irritate me."

"Not something she wants to do." Rusty managed a small grin. "Thank you, Sharon."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but simply couldn't find the words. Sharon stroked his arm before letting go of him. "No reason to thank me, Rusty. Now go on," she nodded to the food bags in his hand. "Take that into the kitchen. We'll be along in a minute."

Andy watched the kid make his way into the kitchen and took a step forward. He tossed his jacket across the back of the sofa. "How's your back?" He reached for her, hands gentle as he pulled her forward.

She offered a hum and a shrug as his arms settled loosely around her hips. Finn had managed to trip her the day before. Her back was bruised but she was otherwise unharmed. It was why she had chosen the loose, but unflattering dress. It wouldn't irritate the damaged skin where she had fallen against the newel post. She was only glad that she had just been coming _down_ the stairs, or else it might have been a lot worse. "It's fine," She assured him. "It's sore, but we've both had much worse over the years. It wasn't the dog's fault. Finn was chasing his ball." The timing had just been atrocious. She stepped down as he dashed by the foot of the stairs. "I'm going to go up and change. If you'll get Joey started on picking up his toys, I'll help you wrap it up when I get back."

"Nah," he kissed the top of her head. "Go take a shower, that'll make it feel better. We've got this. By the time you get done, we'll be ready to sit down for dinner."

That they would talk about what happened with Emma afterward went unsaid. Sharon nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I'll be down soon." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his mouth. As she stepped away, she called the dog to her. "Come on, you can keep me company. It will be better if you're not under foot."

"No you don't." Andy caught Joey when he tried to follow. He hefted the boy up and over his shoulder. "Come on son, time to clean up the mess."

"No," he whined. "Finn puppy!"

"Is going to keep mom company." He carried him across the room so that they could start with the largest pile of toys. When Joey continued to whine and wriggle in his arms, Andy set him on his feet. "Joseph, enough." He pointed at the toys on the floor. "Clean up."

The toddler pouted but started picking up his toys, one item at a time, and carrying it to the toy box. Andy joined him, gathering several. He wasn't surprised when Rusty started gathering up those items that were strewed as far as the kitchen. Between the three of them they managed to put the family room back into some semblance of order.

After dinner, and once Joey was down for the night and Rusty was closed up in his bedroom, Andy went in search of his wife. He found her on the back porch swing. The backyard was illuminated by the Christmas lights that decorated the fence surrounding it. Sharon had offered to clean up after dinner while he took Joey upstairs for his bath and bedtime. She was seated sideways on the swing, knees drawn against her chest while she watched the night sky. If one squinted, they could almost see the stars through the smog. Almost.

Andy sat down beside her on the swing and drew her into his lap. He settled a hand against the small of her back while the other draped across her thighs. When her head settled his shoulder, he lay his cheek against the top of her hair. "So, what happened?"

"She's impossible and I hate her." Sharon sniffed. She smiled a bit at just how petulant she sounded. Then she drew a breath and let it out slowly. She snuggled closer and drew his arm more securely around her. "We were in the middle of a case and she came waltzing into my Murder Room as if she owned the place. She decided to completely announce to the room at large that thanks to Rusty's having met with Doctor Joe, Stroh's defense lawyers could now claim that he was mentally unstable. Which would thereby completely invalidate his testimony and discredit him." Her jaw clenched. Sharon's grip on his arm tightened for a moment. "Obviously she's too self centered to know just how difficult it was to get Rusty to sit down with a Psychiatrist to begin with… No not even that." Sharon shook her head. "She's just self centered, period. She said all of that in front of Rusty, so naturally he was upset. He may have lost his temper with her a bit, but I allowed it. It was past time that _someone_ said something to her, and I can't. My objectivity is so completely and obviously shot. If I go on the offensive then I'm just another over protective mother that is protecting her child. Rusty, on the other hand, I think it did him good to get some of that out."

He grunted quietly while he listened. His hand stroked her back, but he was careful of the bruised area along her left shoulder blade. "Yeah, I figured something like that might've happened when he came busting into my office this afternoon." His lips moved against her hairline. "What did he say?"

"He called her on her crap." Sharon smirked a bit. "Basically he wanted to know why, if she was so very worried about him, she was only just now expressing that concern. Where was she when he needed someone to be worried for him. It was all very valid. It's off his chest now, and that is what matters. I think the meeting with Doctor Joe might have helped, even if it was just an evaluation. We'll see if we can maneuver him into sitting down with the Doctor again."

"Maneuver?" Andy arched a brow at that. He tipped his head to one side and arched a brow at his wife. "You sure it's a good idea to _maneuver_ Rusty into doing anything?"

Her lips pursed. Sharon shrugged at him. "I like to think of it as gently convincing him to do as he should. While allowing him to believe that it's _his _idea."

"You know," Andy said drily, "some people also call that meddling."

Her elbow dug into his side and Sharon lifted her chin. "I do not meddle in my children's lives. I guide them toward becoming responsible, successful individuals."

"Ah." Andy nodded slowly. "So now we're _guiding_ them… I thought we were gently convincing?" He grinned down at her. When she rolled her eyes at him, he kissed the side of her head. "Yeah, okay, we'll see if we can get the kid to see the doc again." His hand moved up her back and beneath her hair to rub her neck. "Here's the thing, though. The kid is going to do the right thing because he knows we expect it of him, and because he's beginning to expect that of himself. But he's stubborn, and he's scared, and the more he gets pushed, the more he's going to dig his heels in." He turned his lips into her hair again. "Kind of like someone else I know."

She hummed quietly. "Oh, I think that sounds a lot like you, actually." Sharon leaned her head back and smiled up at him. Her eyes were shining in the soft glow of the Christmas Lights. She lifted her hand and let her fingers stroke the curve of his jaw. "Rusty will be okay," she said. "It's a matter of _guiding_ him in the right direction. He's a smart boy, and he's come a long way. He wants to do good, and to be good. Our task is going to be showing him that he _is_ good."

"Hm." He leaned down and brushed a light kiss across her lips. "I hope the kid figures out someday how lucky he is to have you," Andy rumbled quietly.

"Us," she reminded him. "We're lucky to have him. It scares me to think where he might be without us."

"No." Andy disagreed. He grinned at her. "You. I'm still trying to figure out how all this works. You've got it down to a science. You're such a mom."

"Andy." She spoke quietly. She shook her head. Sharon moved and turned in his arms. She settled on her knees, straddling his lap and set the swing to swaying and creaking as their weight shifted. "No," she said. "You've been right here with me. Every day, every step. I've raised children alone. I know how to do that, but the difference is I don't _have _to. You're here, and I wish that you could see just how wonderful you are." Her hands settled against his neck, thumbs stroking the line of his jaw on either side. "With Nicole and Charlie, and Joey especially. Even with Ricky and Emily. Rusty is just as lucky to have you as they are. You made mistakes, we all do, and some of them are worse than others, but you're here, and you're trying, and you're doing a pretty damned fantastic job." Her smile settled into one of warmth and affection. How she loved this man. "You really are such a dad," she said quietly.

She could still surprise him at times, with the way that she saw him. Even now, years later, it amazed him that they where in this place, together, happy. He slid a hand into her hair to cup the back of her head and pulled her down until their lips met. His other hand settled at her hip and held her against him. There were still moments when he wondered that it was a dream. The kiss lingered, neither heated nor overly passionate. There was a wealth of feeling there, understanding and affection surely, but there was also a sense of belonging.

Her arms slipped over his shoulders and she leaned in to him while his hands moved to the small of her back to hold her there. Sharon's lips curved toward a smile as she gazed down at him, eyes alight with warmth and love. It was a look that was reflected back at her. "Do you have any idea," he said at last, and at length, "just how amazing you are?"

"I think so." Her lips pursed, they brushed his again, teasing now, playful. "My best friend tells me all the time." Her head inclined. "You know, it really must be said, you're pretty amazing yourself." They were people who had embarked on and odd, and perhaps even outrageous journey together. It was still a wonder to her at times how they had come to be where they were currently. She had friends. They both did, people they could speak to and spend time with, those who had shared interests and hobbies. Yet, when she read something funny, or she saw something amusing, he was always the first person she thought of sharing it with. "I will always be thankful that you stopped that night, in the parking garage. Whatever else happens, this, all of it," she shrugged, and nodded her head toward the house as though to encompass all that they were, and all that they shared, "it started there."

"Funny," he rumbled quietly, and tugged her down until their lips were brushing again. "I thought it started the first time you wrote me up." His arms circled her hips, and he drew her closer. Andy grinned crookedly, and the sound of her laughter, as always, made his heart flutter a bit.

She lay a hand against his cheek and kissed him soundly, laughing all the while. "Come on, old man, let's go." Sharon wriggled off his lap and held out a hand. "I'd suggest fooling around, but I'm not sure Frick and Frack could take it." The motion lights at the far end of the yard had come on, as they always did when the perimeter got walked at night. They may not be seen through the privacy fence, but they could be heard.

"Sorry Ma'am." That was Officer Madison. They always tried to be not be intrusive, but it wasn't always possible.

Andy shook his head as he stood. He looped an arm around her shoulders. "Okay guys, we're in for the night. Have a good one."

"Yes sir, Lieutenant." Officer Pierce responded.

They had their own routine upon reentering the house. Every door and window on the first floor was checked. They made sure that the alarm was set, and then they made their way upstairs. Sharon checked on Rusty before bed, to make sure that he was actually _in_ his room, not that he had ever snuck out of the house. Andy checked on Joey and Finn, and then they entered their room together.


	42. Chapter 42

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 41<strong>

Christmas in Los Angeles, the one place where they could count on having string bikinis, sunny skies, and temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. A week before Christmas they were enjoying the status quo. It was a week that was meant to be spent vacationing for all of Major Crimes. Captain Raydor lobbied, proposed, and finally negotiated that week off for her people. Robbery Homicide was on call to pick up the slack for them. It was a fact that Andy had only _not_ protested because he already had his vacation days approved prior to the request approval for the other division.

There was also the fact that both Ricky _and_ Emily would be with them until the New Year. Emily was flying in from New York and Ricky was driving down from San Francisco. Neither was scheduled to leave again until January second. He got to see his kids all the time, at least once a week, but Emily and Ricky's visits to LA were fewer and farther between, and rarely at the same time. Andy knew that Sharon was practically floating on air at the thought, so he would have gladly given up all of his vacation time as part of her negotiations. As it was, he was sure that he would probably end up working at least part of the holiday.

Most of it, if their most recent case was any indication.

It was an accident, really. He was laying the blame for this one where it belonged. Provenza. How he ended up letting his partner drag him to Venice Beach for last minute shopping, he would never know. Somehow he had given in, probably because he could bring Finn with him. They didn't like leaving the dog locked in his crate if it was avoidable. He was fully kennel trained now, but Sharon hated the idea.

That was a fact which Provenza made certain to comment on, as he took him to a head shop to buy gifts for Joey and his two new step-grandkids. The truth was, their Christmas shopping was finished. They did as most parents. They played the age old game of Divide and Conquer. Sharon picked up a few odds and ends here and there, but for the majority of their shopping one of them kept the boys occupied while the other took care of it. Then they engaged the assistance of Julio to take Rusty out to a movie while they got it all wrapped. In the end, everyone on their list was taken care of. They were certain they had spoiled all of the kids, specifically Joey and Rusty, but it was Christmas.

That afternoon's shopping was directed at the Christmas party that Nicole was hosting in a few days. Somehow he was elected to pick up the gifts for the kids. A fact which was decided by his wife, his ex-wife, and his daughter. It was never a good thing when those three got together, but for some reason Andy kept letting it happen. One day he'd learn. On that he and Provenza were agreed.

The day started out okay enough. It was pretty typical for one of their outings. They bantered, they bickered, Andy wanted to bang his head against something hard and immovable.

Then they found a body.

Now they had a mess on their hands. They were together when the body was found. Andy tried to foist it off on Major Crimes. Hell, most of the time they stole his cases anyway. Sharon was not having it. Her team was on stand down, Robbery Homicide was on call. As she saw it, they should take the case and that should be the end of it. They'd have Lieutenant Provenza's statement and that should be sufficient.

It wasn't quite working out that way.

Major Crimes had done the preliminary work after the situation was called in. Robbery Homicide was on call, and Lieutenant Flynn was present when the body was located. They had a very limited amount of time in which the case could be solved before they would begin accumulating overtime _and_ holiday compensation. Taylor told them to share the case. With two teams working it, they could cover all of their bases and solve it in half the time. That was the theory anyway. It was a crap theory, but Taylor was known for those.

Andy sighed quietly and rolled his eyes when the door to Sharon's office closed with a loud click. It was as close to slamming it as she ever allowed herself to get. _Here we go_, he thought. He shifted in the chair he was slumped in as she swept into the office. He watched her round the desk and drop a file onto it. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Provenza sitting just a bit straighter. He wanted to roll his eyes again, but he thought better of it. His former partner was gearing up for an argument, he could sense it. Instead, Andy turned a bland look on his wife. "Well?"

Her hands found her hips as she glared at them. "What I would like to know," she began slowly, carefully, "is how the two of you can manage to be separated into different Divisions and yet you still manage to end up in trouble." She looked from one to the other, and then Sharon's hand landed on the folder. It was easily half an inch thick. "This is the report that I now get to file because the witnesses that corroborated your statements of having witnessed the burglary in progress, which _ultimately_ led to finding the body of our victim stated that they spied the two of you coming out of a _head shop_!" Her eyes flashed while her voice rose, only a fraction. "Now then, would either of you care to explain exactly why it is that I now need to file this report?"

He couldn't help himself. Andy snorted. He slanted a look at Provenza. "Sounds like just one more rule that was written by someone with too much time on their hands and not enough police work."

She straightened and folded her arms over her chest. When her lips pursed, Provenza shook his head. "I'm going out on a limb here," he said, "and guessing that rule was written by someone in this room right now. Somehow who is not you or me." He smirked. "You have fun on that couch tonight, buddy."

Andy did roll his eyes that time. He shook his head at the other Lieutenant and leaned forward in his chair. "Alright look," he said. "We never actually went _in_ to the head shop, and besides, it was all his idea." When his wife got that look on her face, he didn't care that he didn't work for her anymore. It was always best to put the blame where it belonged! "He wouldn't shut up about this great place in Venice beach that had the best kites in LA. We went to check them out. I mean, you wanted me to pick up gifts for the kids right? We were picking up gifts."

Sharon's eyes narrowed. She leaned forward, just the tiniest bit. Her head inclined toward him, as though she wasn't sure that she heard him correctly. "Gifts?" Her eyes flickered from one man to the other again. Then her brows rose. "Are you telling me that you were looking for gifts for _my son_ in a head shop?" When his mouth opened to respond, she held up a hand. "You know what, it doesn't matter. We'll talk about that later. Right now, I have some paperwork to fill out. I also have a case to work, and I need to find someone to pick up Emily at the airport. Something that I was going to do in," she glanced at her watch, "an hour. Mark and Nicole are in San Diego, so I can't call them. Charlie is in Inglewood working on a new design, and Ricky isn't driving down until tomorrow. Oh, and did I mention that I can't ask you to do it because you have to work the case with me."

Provenza slowly lifted his hand. "If the two of you are going to have a marital spat can I leave now?" He looked between them. Sparks were flying. Eyes were flashing. Flynn was scowling. This was probably the time that it was going to get really good, but he suddenly had no interest in seeing it. "Some of us should probably get some actual work done."

Slowly her glare was turned on him. Sharon stared at the older Lieutenant for a moment. Her lips pressed into a thin line and she exhaled quietly. "Lieutenant, you may leave. Please see if SID has sent up the evidence that was collected from the RV. I'll be along shortly."

"Yes, Captain." Provenza tossed a smirk at his partner as he made good his escape.

He shook his head again. Andy arched a brow at his wife. "Don't look at me like that," he stated. "This was not my fault. I'm not just going to ignore a crime as it's taking place. There are _rules_ against that kind of thing, you know."

It wasn't that he was using her rulebook against her, but rather the smug look he flashed as he did it. Sharon made a face at him. "You do not get to use that against me." She pointed a finger at him. "You don't even work for me anymore and still you're causing me paperwork headaches."

"Oh, that's funny." Andy unfolded himself from the chair. "That's real funny, Sharon. Don't talk to me about paperwork incited by the other. I live that reality about every other case. Turnabout is fair play if you ask me. This is payback, honey." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, we're sharing the case? I'll get my guys up here. Phillips and Elliot can start on the background on the victim."

"I think I'd much rather have them begin sorting through the evidence once it has arrived. That would be of greater assistance at this point, and I can ask Lieutenant Tao and Detective Sanchez to run the background on the victim."

Andy shook his head at her. "Captain, my guys aren't going to do the grunt work on this. They're both damned good at what they do, and I shouldn't have to tell you that about Sergeant Elliot. Phillips can work a computer in ways that would make Tao weep, and no you cannot have him. What you do with your people is up to you, but mine are running background."

Her brows lifted in surprise. This was not her smirking, playfully sarcastic, sometimes hot tempered husband. He made the transition into Division Head look absolutely seamless. He could be argumentative, usually when Major Crimes took one of his cases. He never attempted to be authoritative with her before, not in a professional capacity. He didn't work for her anymore, and hadn't for a year. The Lieutenant standing in front of her had twelve months to get used to a role that was basically forced on him. _Her people_. _His guys_. They were standing on opposite sides of a line that they had never encountered before.

"Very well," Sharon spoke deliberately. "The sergeants from Robbery Homicide may run background on our victim. I will put my team to work tracking our evidence. If that is all, Lieutenant, I believe we both have quite a bit of work to get done."

"For now, Captain." Andy stepped back and moved toward the door. "I'm going to have my guys set up shop up here. I seem to notice you've got a couple of empty desks."

Sharon watched him go. Well… this was going to be interesting. Her eyes dropped to the report on her desk and she groaned. Already she could feel a headache starting. Some of her worst headaches began with _Flynn and Provenza, _she was sure that this would be no exception.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

It was activity in the Murder Room which drew Sharon's attention a short while later. The two sergeants from Robbery Homicide had arrived. In fact, one of them was seated at the vacant desk just outside her office. Sharon glanced through her open blinds as she rose from behind her desk. Andy put Elliot there, and he was on the opposite side of the room, nearer the murder board. It was almost as if he was going out of his way to point out that things were _different _now.

As Sharon stepped out of her office, she took a moment to let her gaze wander the room. Sergeant Elliot was a familiar presence for her, but she also felt a bit removed. They were no longer FID and it had been a couple of years since they last worked together. Still, she liked seeing him at that desk. Sharon allowed herself a tiny little smirk. She would find a way to recruit him someday.

For the moment, her attention shifted back to the case at hand. Her head inclined while her lips pursed.

"Sanchez, run background on this guy Bennett. I want to know if he's ever been picked up for something like this before. Or if he's ever been picked up for anything at all. Mike, what about his financials? Can we get our hands on those," As he spoke, Andy looked up from the papers in his hand. "I wonder if this is a case of fraud gone really bad. The wallet he had on him matched the identity that Phillips ran down on the RV owner. He's got background and financials running on Massey right now. I want to know who this guy Bennett is before we go in and talk to him, and if there was any connection to the vic."

Provenza leaned forward in his chair. "Are you forgetting just one little fact, _Lieutenant_," he pointed a finger at his former partner. "We can't talk to the suspect until Buzz gets back. You sent him on a little errand to LAX to pick up the stepdaughter. We're talking two hours at best. So what, we're going to let this guy sit there and stew for two hours, thinking up all kinds of plausible stories to make our lives harder?"

Before he could answer, Sharon strode across the murder room. Her heels clicked against the tile as she moved. She planted a hand on her hip as she neared the Lieutenant's desk. Sharon stopped at his shoulder and looked down at the older man. "What do we have, Lieutenant?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but Flynn cut in before he could. "The suspect that swiped one of our victim's cards has—"

Sharon held up a hand. She cut a look at him before she looked pointedly at her second in command. "Lieutenant?"

From the corner of his eye, Provenza watched Flynn scowl. He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together against his belly. He smiled pleasantly. "Thank you, Captain. We have background information on our victim, Vince Massey. What we pulled up matches the registration on the RV. Our suspect is here he's cooling it in interview two, but Buzz isn't back from playing fetch. The Lieutenant here was just _suggesting_ that we run background on Bennett while we wait, find out if there is any connection between the two."

"Yeah," Andy cut in at that point. He strode back toward the desk he was occupying, temporarily. "So, Julio get on that, will you? I want to look at that before I go in there. Elliot, you can run the computers until Buzz gets back."

Sharon turned, slowly. Her brows lifted as she watched him. Her arms were folded over her chest. Members of her team were looking at him, then at her. Julio looked particularly interested in what she was going to do next. "Detective Sanchez," Sharon spoke deliberately. "Where was Mr. Bennett picked up?"

He rested his elbows against his desk and leaned forward on the edge of his chair. "At a Target in Brentwood, ma'am."

Her head tilted thoughtfully. "That doesn't exactly sound like a shopping spree to me. Alright Detective, run background on Mr. Bennett. Let's see if he has any criminal history."

She moved closer to his desk and Julio leaned toward her. "Ma'am, do I have to?" He pitched his voice low and slanted a look at the other detectives. "They're Robbery Homicide."

"We are not elitist, Detective." She smiled warmly down at him. "Go ahead and run the background check."

He sighed. "Yes ma'am."

When Sharon looked up, she found Andy staring at her. Her eyes narrowed. She pointed a finger toward her office. "Lieutenant, a word, please?"

"Actually, Captain," He tapped the file in his hand against his leg. "I was going to go down and see Doctor Morales before we question Mr. Bennett. You're welcome to come along. We can chat on the way." He pulled his jacket off the back of his chair and started shrugging into it. "It's going to take the guys a little while to pull the background together, but I think we've got time to spare."

He strode right past her without stopping. Sharon blinked a few times. She turned and fixed Provenza with a look. _Did that really just happen?_ She stared at him for a moment before her gaze moved in the direction that Andy had gone. "Did he say no to me?"

Provenza smiled widely. "Shocking, I know," he drawled.

Sharon stepped closer to his desk. She hooked a thumb in the direction that Andy had gone. "Was I ever that bad?" She asked the question quietly.

"No," the Lieutenant stated, drawing out the syllable and grinning deviously.

At his desk, Tao snorted. "You were worse."

As Sharon looked around the room, Julio chuckled. "You kind of were, ma'am." He grinned up at her and shrugged.

"Indeed." She turned on her heel. "Excuse me, gentlemen, it seems I have an appointment in the morgue." Sharon strode to her office to retrieve her own jacket, as well as her phone, before trailing along after Lieutenant Bossy Britches, as she was thinking of him presently.

They waited until she was out of sight, down the hall, and headed to the elevators before Sykes leaned back in her seat with a sigh. Amy shook her head. "I've never wanted to go to the morgue so bad in my life."

Provenza chortled happily as he reached for his phone. He picked it up and began dialing. "Why go to the morgue? Bring the morgue to you, Sykes!"

Tao squinted at him. "What are you doing?" He gave the other man a cautious look. This may not end well for any of them.

"I am calling Doctor Morales," he stated. "There are cameras down there!"

He was waiting for her by the elevator. The doors were open, and he was holding them. It was as if he just _knew_ that she would follow him. Sharon wasn't sure if that was irritating or somehow a little charming. She strode toward him and stepped into the elevator without pause. She cut a look at him as she did and turned, slowly, to face the front of the car. Sharon clasped her hands in front of her and waited for him to step inside and let the doors slide closed. She waited until they started moving and had descended two floors before she spoke.

"Lieutenant, I understand that it's been a while since you've been with us," She kept her tone pitched low, and spoke deliberately, "however there is a way that we do things on the ninth floor. Specifically, when I am otherwise occupied, I expect Lieutenant Provenza to be the voice of Major Crimes."

"Yeah." He arched a brow at her. Andy slanted a look in her direction and shrugged. "That's all well and good when Major Crimes is working the case. This time, it's a joint operation. We've got two divisions running on this one, and that means we've got two ranking officers. If one of them is absent, then your team can take orders just like mine can."

Sharon looked toward the ceiling of the elevator car. Her lips twitched toward a smile. She blinked a couple of times before she inclined her head at him. "Captain." Her brows lifted and she gave him a pointed look. "Then my team can take orders just like yours can, _Captain_. I believe that was the statement you were attempting to make, yes?"

His eyes narrowed, just a fraction. Andy arched a brow at her. "Captain." He nodded just once and turned his gaze back to the front of the elevator. "Sergeant Elliot runs our equipment for us, he can take over while Buzz is picking up Emily. I told him in return for doing the favor, we'd let him cut out just as soon as possible. I figure if we've got Elliot on tap, we don't really need Buzz too."

"Hm." She hummed quietly at that. She wanted to question him on making promises to a member of _her_ team, but then, Buzz was doing them a personal favor by making the trip to LAX to pick up Emily. She could have sent her daughter a text, instructed her to get a cab, but it was a tradition. Every year since Emily had been away, first at college, and then upon moving to New York, Sharon always picked her up at the airport. Even if they were in Park City, they tried to time their arrivals so that the tradition could be observed. Sharon wasn't going to let Emily take a cab from the airport, not at Christmas. "Yes," she drawled. "I am well aware of Sergeant Elliot's skill set." Sharon smirked. "Tell me, has he filled out his transfer request yet. I still have an opening."

Now she was toying with him. Andy grunted quietly. "I don't think he has. Seems he's perfectly happy right where he is." His brow arched, he cut a look at her. "What's the matter, Captain. Having a hard time replacing me?"

Sharon moved out of the elevator when it opened. "Lieutenant, there is no replacement for you." She paused and tossed a look at him over her shoulder. "FID stopped ordering folders that large a long time ago."

Andy barked a laugh as she sauntered away from him. He hurried to catch up and fell in step beside her. God almighty, she was a joy when she was riled up.

Morales was prepared for them when they arrived. Yes, there were cameras, but unfortunately nothing significant enough to work in the way the Lieutenant would like. Instead, for a small price, Morales promised to commit every moment to memory and do a play-by-play later. Only because he was feeling festive and it was almost Christmas. It was a time for giving, and peace, and blah, blah, blah. He was getting paid, it was fine. Granted, that payment was going to come in the form of something so suitably expensive that this lot of detectives would think twice before ever trying to draw him into their domestic bickering again. That didn't mean he wasn't going to enjoy the moment.

He affixed the pair with a bland look as they entered the exam room. "I don't know why we're doing this," he drawled, with no small amount of sarcasm. "There was nothing significantly out of the ordinary with how Mr. Massey died. Blunt force trauma to the head," he pointed at the deceased, "which in it self would have killed him eventually, but your suspect finished the job by strangling him." The doctor arched a brow at them. "So then, what is the big question? Why are we bothering me?"

"That's a very good question, doctor." Sharon folded her arms across her chest and turned slowly to look at Andy. "I believe you had questions for the doctor, Lieutenant?"

Andy opened the file in his hand and took out the DMV photo of their victim. He held it up beside the man's face. There was always some difference between the bodies and their living representations. It was him, however. "His finger prints didn't pop anything?" Their background check hadn't turned up anything either.

"No," Morales shook his head. "No criminal record. No other sign of foul play. Honestly, Lieutenant, we could have spoken about all of this over the phone. There was no reason for you to have to come all the way down here."

"We don't know if the victim has a family," Andy pointed out. "If I'm going to tell them that he's dead, right before Christmas, I want to make sure it's him." He shrugged as he put the DMV photo back in the file folder. "I also wanted to see him again myself, make sure nothing stood out. We have a suspect upstairs, before I talk to him…well, you know."

Sharon rolled her eyes behind him and looked at the Doctor. "Doctor, we appreciate your time. We know how very busy you are."

Morales watched them look at one another. Sparks flew, even as the room chilled. "As much fun as this is, I do have a busy day. Is there anything else that I can do for Major Crimes, Captain?"

"No, Doctor." Sharon smiled at him. "I believe that will be all." She turned and fixed Andy with a look. "Was there anything else that you needed, Lieutenant?"

Andy ignored her as he walked around the exam table to look closer at the bottle. "So definitely the toaster and the cord we found?" He frowned. "You mentioned the head injury would have eventually killed him, but we have strangulation, so there was definite intent?"

"That is what I said." Morales shrugged. "I doubt very seriously that he would have survived another hour with the brain bleed that I found evidence of. Your victim would have become disoriented, he probably would felt an ongoing headache due to the event. Then he would have collapsed. Your suspect had intent, there is no question about that."

"Any other signs of struggle?" Andy folded his arms over his chest. "Is it possible the fight just got out of control?"

Morales cast a quick glance at the Captain, who seemed interested in that answer herself, if just marginally. If they weren't so amusing, he might have pushed them out of his morgue already. Instead, he turned his attention back on the Lieutenant and decided they were going to go through their usual routine. He had already sent a report up to Major Crimes, that happened sometimes, with the straightforward cases. The Lieutenant liked to come down, see it for himself, wrap his head around the details and get his questions answered. The medical examiner smirked a bit. The Captain was usually satisfied with his reports. Although, come to think of it, there wasn't really anything about _this_ particular crime that made it a _Major_ Crime. Except perhaps the story he'd heard that Lieutenant Provenza was there when the body was found.

Morales fought the urge to laugh. That must be the issue here. The boys managed to get into trouble again. Oh, but the stories he had heard about them.

"Nothing overt," he explained. "There was some bruising around the hands, a few minor abrasions around the ankle. Most likely from when he kicked out the window during the initial altercation. Other than that, I would say the victim died very quickly."

"Yeah," Andy nodded nodded slowly. "I figured that too. Okay," he turned and looked at Sharon. "We'll see if we've got background back on Bennett. If they got into it, maybe there's something in his history that indicates he's got a temper." He walked around the exam table and strolled past her toward the exit.

Sharon cast a serene look at the doctor. She smiled and turned to follow. She kept her arms folded over her chest as they stepped out into the hall to remove their smocks. She hummed quietly as she wadded hers and tossed it into the bin. Then she looked over to where Andy was doing the same. "The victim, hm?" Her lips were still quirked into a smile. Her eyes were sparkling. She waited until he stuffed his smock into the bin and then she strolled past him down the hall. "Interesting word usage. I seem to recall being told that when working homicide, we should refer to our victims by name."

Andy looked heavenward as he turned to follow her. "Yeah, well, I figured if I took the time to say his name, you'd tap a hole right through the concrete with that impatience of yours."

At the elevator, she turned and waited for him. "So this is my fault?"

"You're Major Crimes." He smirked at her. "It's always your fault." He reached past her and hit the button for the elevator.

"Hm." Sharon hummed again as she stepped into the elevator. "That's interesting coming from Robbery Homicide." She moved toward the back of the elevator before she turned to face him again. Her eyes were sparkling. Her eyes crinkled at the corners while the corner of her mouth twitched toward a smile. "I've never really played into the monickers that go back and forth between our two divisions." Her head inclined thoughtfully, "but there is a reason that others consider the two groups Team A and Team B."

He snorted quietly as he joined her. "Yeah. I've heard that too." Andy tapped the file against his leg and shrugged. "Team B is filled with a bunch of old guys, it's nice to have back up. You know, someone to do the grunt work while we do the investigating."

Sharon folded her lips together and glanced at him. "_Old guys_?" Her brows lifted. "Do I have to remind you that you're older than I am?"

"I like to think of it as experience, not age." His dark eyes sparkled down at her. "You guys don't like anyone getting in the middle of your cases. It's like you're afraid that someone will figure out that there are other real cops in the department that can do it just as well, or better, than you can."

She laughed out loud. Sharon snorted and covered her mouth. "Did you just say that? Really? _You_ just said that?"

Andy shrugged. "I'm not Major Crimes anymore." That was the hardest thing to get used to over the last year, but he _did _get used to it. "I have to look out for mine. I know exactly how this case is going to play out if I don't stay on top of it. So yeah, maybe you don't like how I'm doing things, but guess what, not everything is about you guys. Besides, I kind of want to get this one wrapped up. I've got holiday plans too."

His very pointed look made her smile soften. "Yes I know."

Emily would be on the ground by now, and quite possibly, picking up her bags. Ricky was driving down the following day, and the two of them were getting together at Nicole and Mark's in a few days. Not to mention the plans they had at their place for the children that weekend. Nicole and Charlie would be joining, along with Mark and the boys of course, but it was a less formal gathering than the party at Nicole's. This was just the family, their family, and all of those plans were in danger of being changed or ruined if they didn't solve their current case quickly.

Sharon's lips pursed for a moment, then she nodded. "Have Sergeant Phillips work with Mike, between the two of them, they can cut the data processing in half. We'll put Josh in the electronics room," she said of Elliot, "while we question Mr. Bennett."

Andy nodded once. "Sounds good." He arched a brow at her. "Any theories?"

She snorted. "Just one. I'm never letting the two of you go anywhere together again."

"One body!" He sighed. "Just one body, and you're not going to let me forget it, are you?"

"Oh sure." She rolled her eyes at him. "Just the one? Of course it is." She looked at him over the rims of her glasses. "I suppose I should just be glad you didn't leave this one in a garage while you finished your shopping."

Andy rolled his eyes at her. "You know, I told my wife about that. It doesn't get to be used against me now." He pointed a finger at her. "For the record, it was all—"

"His fault…" Sharon shook her head at him. "Yes, I'm sure that it was. I'm not using it against you now. I'm simply pointing out a very real fact. The two of you are not allowed to go anywhere without some sort of supervision from now on."

"Fine." He turned back to face the front of the elevator. "You can go with us from now on."

She giggled. "Oh yes, I'm sure he'll just love that."

"Yeah, I think he will." The elevator doors opened. "I saw how chummy the two of you have gotten since I left. Don't think I didn't notice."

"Hm." Sharon slanted a look at him and smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, darling, he's just my work husband." Her lashes fluttered and then she strode forward, out of the elevator, and left him behind.

Andy watched her go. He rolled his eyes and followed her across the lobby to the exit. They would have to walk the few blocks back to PAB. "That was the most disturbing thing I've ever heard," he muttered. When the elevator doors began to close again, he stepped out and picked up his pace to rejoin her.

"Now, about Sergeant Elliot's transfer," Sharon drawled. "I'd like it in place before the new year. We really should get started on that transition."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Give it up. You're not getting him. I spent all this time breaking his FID habits, you don't get to reap the rewards of my hard work."

"You're reaping the rewards of all _my_ hard work," she remarked with a grin. Sharon shrugged. "We'll see."

"Yeah," he grunted at her. "We will…"


	43. Chapter 43

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 42<strong>

They wrapped the case, put a killer behind bars and managed to reunite a sixteen year old boy with his mother. It wasn't such a bad end, even if all of their hearts ached for Hunt Massey and his loss. As Amy and Buzz took down the evidence and erased their notes from the murder board, Sharon watched the detectives from Robbery Homicide pack up their notes and equipment to head back to their own floor. Rusty was chatting with Elliot, and she saw in his smile that he was rattled.

Rusty was always a little quiet after his meetings with Doctor Joe, a little bit withdrawn. She would be worried, except that they had learned he spent that time actually thinking about all that was discussed between them. He would mention it later, when he was ready. Rusty had to feel his way around it first, and then he would come to her with it, or Andy. It was usually a toss up, and depended on what he was feeling about all that was happening in his life. Sometimes he was just more comfortable talking to his foster dad about it.

There were times though, that he was more comfortable talking to someone else entirely. When that happened he would go to Lieutenant Provenza, or Buzz. She thought perhaps he had even gone to Julio or Tao a time or two. Rusty had plenty of people around him that he could count on, and he was entering a place where he felt that he could truly trust them.

Sharon watched him laugh at something that Josh Elliot said and smiled. She walked over to join them, hands clasped in front of her. "Well, it looks as if you're all ready to go back downstairs." She offered the Sergeant a warm smile. "It wouldn't be hard at all to process a transfer," she wheedled, "there's no reason at all that you should feel like you _have_ to leave that desk unoccupied."

Elliot laughed and shook his head at her. She and the Lieutenant had spent the last three days _discussing_ whether or not he should stay in Robbery Homicide or not. "You know, Captain, that's really tempting." He pulled the strap for his laptop case over his shoulder and lifted his files. "It was great working with you again. Like you, I never really intended to stay in FID, and I'm glad that someone was willing to take a risk on a rule monger." He shrugged at her, and flashed a crooked grin. "The thing is, _Mom_, I know that just because you and _Dad_ fight, it has nothing to do with us kids. I know you only want what's best for me, but I'm choosing to live with dad." He slanted a look at Rusty and winked at the laughing boy. "I'll see you around. It was fun." He extended the last statement to the others and waved as he left.

He didn't know if it was the deadpan, easy way in which he delivered it, or the words themselves. It could have even been the dumbfounded expression on the Captain's face, but Provenza was laughing so hard he was almost wheezing. "It's just too bad," he managed. "I really like that guy!"

Julio looked up from where he was helping Buzz and Amy pack away the evidence. He stared at the captain for a long moment. Then he shook his head and asked quietly, "I thought I was her favorite?"

"No." Buzz smirked as he took down another photo. He looked over at the detective. "No, clearly that is not the case." He grinned outright. "It's me."

Amy snickered at the two and shook her head. "Boys, boys, boys, I think you're both forgetting a simple, and undeniable fact." She placed the last photo on her side of the murder board in the box and walked around to her desk to gather her things. "The Captain handpicked me. Obviously, _I_ am her favorite." Amy continued to smile widely as she lifted her jacket and purse. She was meeting her family for dinner. It didn't look as if the entire week was going to be a bust.

"Oh, but Sykes, Sykes, Sykes…" Provenza came around the desk. He had his jacket thrown over his arm. He too was prepared to leave for the day. His own last minute shopping had been interrupted by this case. If he showed up at Liz's house empty handed, she would kill him. The grandkids must have gifts! He laid a hand on Amy's shoulder and shook his head at her. He gave her his most sympathetic smile. "There's something we've been meaning to tell you, and I think you've been here long enough now. The Captain only hired _you_ to piss _me _off."

The young detective blinked at him. Then she smiled. It was much too sweet and just a bit too serene. Julio took a step to his left. Amy could be a handful when she was riled. He shook his head, even as he chuckled. "Careful sir," he muttered under his breath.

Amy leaned into Provenza and pitched her voice low. "I know," she said. "But she chose _me _to do it." She winked at him and then she leaned back. She gave a wave and started striding toward the exit. "The facts are on the wall boys. Goodnight Lieutenant."

Provenza did a slow turn, watching her as she left. When finally faced with the others again, he reached up and wiped at an imaginary tear. "Our little Amy is all grown up into a regular smart ass." He nodded once. "Well! My work here is done." The Lieutenant shook out his jacket and shrugged into it. "Gentlemen, Captain, Flynn… goodnight."

Andy snorted. He cut a look at Sharon as his former partner was leaving. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to your work husband?"

The gleam in his dark eyes had her own narrowing. Her head tilted and she shrugged. Sharon tossed her hair back. "Goodnight dear."

Provenza just sketched out a wave as he made his way down the hall toward the elevators. "Snookums."

"You are sick, sick people," Andy said, shaking his head.

"Ah," that had Provenza turning, just for a second. He pointed at Flynn. "Yes, we are, but you deserve it." He shook his finger at Flynn and then he turned. If he got out of there now, he'd hit the stores before the crowds were bad enough that he would be tempted to flash his badge, or shoot someone.

Julio chuckled where he stood. He watched the Captain slide into her office to retrieve her jacket and purse. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. You know how it is." He shrugged and grinned widely. "They'll probably be divorced soon."

Andy laughed. That was true, especially with Provenza. He scratched a thumb across his forehead and slanted a look at his wife when she returned. "Hey, does that make you the honorary sixth then?"

Her brows drew together in confusion. It took a moment for her to realize what he meant. When her puzzled look cleared, she rolled her eyes at him. "God I hope not. I have enough ex-wives to deal with already." Sharon cast her gaze around the room. "Rusty," she nodded toward the exit. "We're leaving."

"I'm ready." He hefted his bag over his shoulder. "Can we stop for burgers?"

"No." Sharon smirked at the sparkle in his gaze. She grabbed her husband and turned him toward the exit. "Come on, let's go. You've caused enough trouble here today. Oh, speaking of ex-wives…" She tugged the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth. "Did I mention that we're having dinner with Vicki and Jeff tonight? We're supposed to discuss a joint gift for Nicole and Mark."

Andy dug his heels in. He turned toward her, a scowl on his face. "Dammit Sharon! You know, I'm thinking that Jeff and I are the ones who need to talk. The two of you should not be allowed to go anywhere unsupervised ever again. Every time that you and Vicki are anywhere near each other, or talk on the damned phone, you come up with some damned thing that's going to end up costing both of us an arm and a leg."

She had her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling. They crinkled at the corners. Then she giggled. "Oh, Andy…"

His eyes narrowed. Andy's teeth ground together. "You're joking."

"Of course I am." Sharon snickered. "Jeff and I wouldn't dream of putting you and Vicki in a room together this close to the holidays. What do you think we are, stupid?" Sharon shook her head and turned him toward the exit again. "Come on, hotshot. Let's go home. You owe me a foot rub."

Andy snorted at her. "Yeah, sure…" He grumbled. "Right after I get my back massage."

"Hm." Sharon hummed. "Feet first, I think…"

They were bickering, which with those two amounted to flirting as they moved down the hall. Rusty turned and cast a beseeching look at Julio. "I have to get in a car with them."

"Yeah." Julio took a deep breath. He reached over and clapped him on the shoulder. "You know… better you than me, man!" He gave him a nudge toward the exit. "Better get going, they might need a chaperone."

Rusty groaned. His shoulders slumped and he trudged toward the hall. He could hear the others laughing behind him. "You guys suck," he decided. The teenager shook his head. "I'm going to end up needing real therapy one of these days…" He shook his head as he walked toward the elevator bank, where they were, indeed waiting and still bickering. _Weirdest parents ever_, he thought.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

They got home around dusk. When they pulled into the driveway, the house was lit. Warm lights shone outward from the inside, but the Christmas lights were on, illuminating the yard. They had passed the patrol car, which moved further down the block as the unmarked vehicle which had followed them took its usual place in front of the house.

Inside, they found the family room in a bit of disarray, but it was not the usual chaos that typically greeted Sharon or Andy when they got home. Christmas music was playing in the background, and the aromas of dinner filled the air, along with scents of hot chocolate and and freshly baked gingerbread. A Christmas tree stood in a corner of the room, near the front windows. The plastic bins which contained the holiday decorations had been pulled out of storage and were spread around the room.

"What is all of this?" Sharon stepped into the room to find Emily and Ricky tossing tinsel at one another while they sorted through the decorations.

The pair turned and pointed at one another. "She started it."

"It was all his fault," Emily stated at the same time.

Sharon arched a brow at them. "Oh, I'm sure you were both equally to blame." She lifted Joey when he ran over and flung himself at her legs. "Hi honey, I missed you." They had allowed Joey to stay home with his siblings the last two days, since neither Emily or Ricky minded playing babysitter. "I thought I left you in charge?"

Ricky rolled his eyes. "Cute, mom."

"Funny." Emily shook her head. She threw another handful of tinsel at Ricky and then bent over another box of open decorations. "When you called and said that you wrapped your case and would be home at a decent hour tonight, we decided it was time to get your little mini-vacation started. We went out and picked out a tree. Charlie helped us haul it over, and then we went down and got the decorations out of the basement. We wanted to save most of it for when you got here, but we did get the lights on it at least."

"I think it's great." Sharon passed Joey to his father. "Let us change and then we'll have dinner and see about that tree."

"What do you think buddy?" Andy lifted Joey over his head. "Maybe we'll hang you on the tree, instead of the angel. How about that?"

"I wouldn't shake him up too much," Ricky warned with a crooked grin. "He's had a lot of cookies…"

"Cookies?" Sharon turned to fix her son with a look. "Oh Ricky, you didn't!"

"Me?" He pointed at Emily. "She made them."

"What?" Emily shook her head and took a step back. "You're the one that said it wouldn't hurt for him to have a couple."

Joey was hanging over his father's head. He cackled. "Cookies!" He lay his hands on his father's face and cackled again. "Finn cookies too!"

Upon hearing his name, the dog rolled over and made a whining noise. His tail was thumping against the floor.

"Oh god." Sharon moaned. She closed her eyes and turned toward the stairs. "Handle it," she waved a hand, blindly, at her husband and started up them.

"What?" Andy drew Joey down and against his chest. He turned and watched her disappearing from view. "Sharon." He sighed. "Great."

Joey giggled. "Dammit Sharon."

Andy clapped a hand over his son's mouth and closed his eyes. He could hear the footfalls on the stairs. She came back down and he almost, physically cringed. "You know, I didn't actually say it this time…"

She took the baby away from him and glared. "Go walk the dog," she said slowly, deliberately.

His shoulders slumped, and his head hung. He couldn't really blame her. Andy peered up at her and tried his cutest grin, but she was still glaring at him. "Yeah, okay." He walked over and took Finn's leash from where it was hanging by the door. "Come on pal, let's go…" He slapped the leash against his leg and watched as the dog stretched before it actually got up and loped over toward him. "Maybe we should walk all the way to the pet store and get a dog house, one big enough for both of us."

"That's an excellent idea." Sharon started up the stairs again, this time taking Joey with her. "Let's work with that."

The older three children watched him leave and Sharon disappear up the stairs. When they looked at each other, they started laughing. "They have been like this for a _week_," Rusty said. He shook his head and dropped his bag onto a chair. He slumped into it. "I'm not sure who I'm worried about more, Andy or Sharon."

Ricky and Emily looked at each other again. "Andy," they both said. "Definitely Andy."

Emily smirked as she started laying out ornaments, the ones that she and Ricky had made over the course of their primary and secondary school careers. They had everything from painted reindeer made out of popsicle sticks, to crocheted snow flakes. There was even a selection of glass balls with their hand prints on them. When she was in high school, Emily had taken an art class, and pulled out the glazed, clay ballet shoes that she made for her mother that year.

"Don't worry Rusty," she told him, and placed the little clay handprint that Joey made in daycare with the rest of the collection. There would be years yet for him to add to it. "Mom will forgive Andy. She always does."

"Yeah, those nut jobs are crazy about each other." Ricky grinned. He found the paper machete snowman he made one year and put it with the other ornaments.

"That's obvious." Rusty snorted. "You should try living with them. Seriously. It can get a little thick around here."

"Oh, we know." Emily glanced at him with a smile. "We stayed with them the summer after Joey was born. Talk about some crazy good times. That was the longest eight weeks of—" Emily stopped talking and started laughing. "Oh god, that's it." She dropped into one of the armchair. "Mom's got her period and they aren't getting any!"

"Oh god." Rusty screwed his face up in disgust. "Really!"

"Em!" Ricky threw a throw pillow at her. "Don't be gross!"

She watched both boys give a full body shudder and rolled her eyes at them. "Ugh. I cannot believe that I am surrounded by so much testosterone in my time!" She got up and started toward the stairs. "I'm going to go get the Midol out of my bag. I think the old girl needs it."

Rusty shuddered again. He looked at Ricky. "You know, I think walking the dog is a really good idea."

"I think you're right," He agreed.

The boys stared at each other for only a second before they both started toward the door. If they walked fast they'd catch up with Andy in no time.

Emily knocked as she entered her mother's room. "Mom?" She peeked inside and found her already dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of leggings. "Are you okay?"

Sharon glanced over at her, wide-eyed and a little startled at the question. She put down her hair brush and reached for a large clip. "Of course." She gathered her hair up and clipped it away from her face before letting her arms drop. "Why would you think I'm not? Oh…" She answered her own question and rolled her eyes. "_That man_." She huffed a sigh and walked across the room to drop her clothes into the dry cleaning bag.

"Exactly." Emily walked in and dropped onto the bed beside her brother, who giggled when he was jostled. Joey was happily playing with one of his trains in the center of the bed while their mother changed. "Is everything okay with you two?"

Sharon laughed. "Oh, we're fine." She walked over and sat on Joey's other side. "Andy just needed to be reminded, again, that Joey is at an age that he is repeating _everything_ that he hears."

"Ah…" Emily felt better at hearing that. Maybe it was their history with her dad that made her worry when her mother seemed less than pleased with her stepfather. "So then, I guess if we hear Joey saying," she covered his ears with her hands, "Dammit Andy, you'll be the one walking the dog?"

She snorted a laugh. "Oh, he's way too smart to make me walk the dog, but he would come up with something, I'm sure." Sharon pushed up from the bed. "Let's get back downstairs before your brothers destroy the house."

"They're not there." Emily flashed an evil smirk. "You see, I told them that the problem was probably that you have your period, so no one is having any adult _fun_. They both escaped to go help walk the dog."

"Oh good grief, Emily!" Sharon covered her face with her hand. "You are a rotten, rotten child. You really do enjoy tormenting them, don't you?"

"Of course!" She nodded as she stood. She pulled Joey up and onto her hip. "It's the big sister's prerogative. It's just so much fun to watch them squirm. On the upside we've got the house to ourselves for at least the next half hour. You know they're not going to want to hurry back. Andy is going to be terrified of you, and the boys don't want to be anywhere near this house until they can sufficiently repress what I made them _think_ is going on."

"Hm." Sharon smiled at her girl. "Well, let's take advantage of it then. We'll open a bottle of wine, set the table for dinner, and sort out the christmas music for the night."

Emily grinned. "You always have the best ideas."

"Of course I do." Sharon wrapped an arm around her as they left the room. "That's my job as your mother. Yours is to never forget it, and to never forget that I am _always_ right."

"Oh, absolutely," Emily said seriously. Upon looking at her mother, she dissolved into giggles.

They made their way downstairs and poured two glasses of wine. After the table was set for dinner, the ladies settled down in the family room to wait for the men to return. With their favorite orchestral holiday compilation playing in the background, they continued sorting through the Christmas decorations.

When the guys did finally return, just over half an hour later, they found two giggling women with flushed cheeks and empty wine glasses, seated on the floor between the boxes and the tree.

"They question leaving _us_ unsupervised," Ricky said.

"Oh no, Ricky, you have to see this!" Emily held up a stack of photos they'd found in one of the boxes. When she and her brother brought up the decorations, they grabbed everything. One of the bins contained decorations and mementos that Sharon usually left in the basement. "It's from the year I got my first bike!"

"So it's embarrassing picture time. That's always great." Ricky walked over and knelt down beside his sister. He took the stack of photos and began paging through them. "Oh god." He shook his head. "Mom, you're an absolute menace with a camera, you know that right?"

In the picture, a Christmas tree stood, in just the spot the current one was arranged. Their father sat with several parts arranged around him and a sheaf of instructions in front of him. In one hand he had bicycle handlebars and in the other a wheel. There was a bicycle chain around his neck. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was utterly confused as to what to do with them. The amusement came from the round, flower covered bicycle basket that sat atop his head like a lopsided hat.

Sharon lay back when Joey flung himself at her and held the giggling boy to her chest. "I told him to have it assembled before he brought it home. He didn't listen, so he became fodder for the camera."

"Is it safe?" Andy still stood in the foyer with the dog.

"She's in a better mood," Rusty observed. "I think you're good." He walked toward the kitchen. "Can we eat now? I'm starving."

"Yeah?" Andy smirked. He bent and let Finn off his leash. "Go get 'em." He counted to five as he hung the leash up and shrugged out of his jacket. "Three, four…"

"_Andy!__" _Sharon rolled to one side. She kept an arm around a laughing Joey but put her other up to keep Finn from licking her face… again. She let Joey go, since he was scrambling to get away and play with the dog.

"Sorry." He walked into the room, looking completely unapologetic. "Didn't realize you were down there."

"Yes, I just bet," she drawled. She held out a hand when he stood over her.

Andy squinted at her outstretched hand. "Depends, am I still sleeping in the doghouse?"

She smiled sweetly. "We don't have a doghouse."

He shrugged. "I'll take it." Andy took her hand and pulled her up. He gave her arm more of a tug than was necessary and pulled her against him. "Hey you."

"Hi." She grinned as she curled her hands around his suspenders. She tugged him closer and rose up onto the balls of her bare feet. As his arms wrapped around her waist, she tipped her head toward him and met his lips for a soft, lingering kiss.

"Oh god." Ricky rolled his eyes. He dropped the photos into a box and rose with a groan.

"Yeah, there goes the moment." Emily stood up with him. "Come on little brother, you don't want to be here right now. Trust me." She scooped Joey up and carried him into the dining room. Finn bounded along behind them, but only so far as the threshold. He sat down just outside the room when he was told to _stay_.

Andy reluctantly pulled away from his wife. "We'd better go. Rusty swears his stomach is eating itself."

"He's a seventeen year old boy," Sharon chuckled, low and throaty. "His stomach is always eating itself." She leaned into him as they walked to the dining room to join the others.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

After dinner, they all regrouped in the family room to complete the task of decorating the tree. Rusty dropped into an arm chair and watched while Emily lined several handmade ornaments up and placed hooks on them for hanging on the tree. "What's all of this?" He picked up a painted reindeer made of popsicle sticks.

"All the cheesy and sometimes corny ornaments that we made in school." Emily grinned as she picked up the clay handprint that was Joey's contribution. It was painted red and green, and quite obvious that the boy had done it himself. "Mom insisted on keeping all of them. We pull them out every year and put them on the tree. Don't you remember them from last year?"

"Not really." Rusty shrugged and looked a little sheepish. The previous Christmas he had been a little sullen and not very good company. He hadn't paid a lot of attention to anything, really. He was grateful for having a place to stay, but upset that his mom couldn't be bothered to reach out to him, even at Christmas of all times.

Emily hummed quietly. "Well, watch out, because mom is a sucker for these things. So if you've got any, expect them to live on in holiday infamy."

"No." Rusty shrugged. "I mean, I guess maybe I did make something like that when I was little. I don't remember. I don't have any of my things from back then." He shrugged again and looked away. Rusty picked at the seam of his jeans. "It's not like we make ornaments in high school, oh and home school, yeah not happening there either." He smiled at her. "It's cool. I'm spared the constant embarrassment."

"Really?" Emily looked up at him. She stopped what she was doing to study him for a moment. "Not even one?" When he shrugged again and shook his head, Emily stood up. "Oh no… uh uh. We are not having that." She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her. "Come on."

"You know, the tree is over there…" Rusty pointed behind them as he was pulled toward the short hall that led to the utility room and Sharon's office. "Where are we going?"

Emily tugged him down the hall to her mother's office. "Sit." She pushed him toward the desk. Then she began searching the room. It was actually a small den that her mother had converted many years before. There was a built in shelving unit to one side which housed books, albums, and on one of the top shelves, a box of crafting supplies. "Got it!" Emily tugged the box down and carried it to the desk. She popped the lid off.

"Okay," Rusty said slowly. "So… what is it?" His brows drew together. He leaned forward against the desk to peer into the box. "Yeah, so… it's some markers and glitter, and, uh… stuff. Why do we have it?"

"You're going to make an ornament." Emily smirked at him. "Come on, Rusty… It's tradition. She's got one from all of us."

He rolled his eyes at her. Rusty sat back in the desk chair with a sigh. First Doctor Joe and now Emily. "You know, she's not actually my mother right? She doesn't need an ornament from me."

Emily made a face at him. "Rusty, have you met the woman? I don't think that really matters. Come on, you don't think you're ever getting away from this family, do you? She's got her claws stuck in, _little brother_, and you are not going anywhere. Look," she offered a gentle smile. "She's not your mom, you're right about that, and she's never tried to take that spot. If your mom came back tomorrow, you know that she'd do whatever she could to make sure that you could see her. The thing is though, she adores you, and you have to know that, right?"

Rusty sighed. "Yeah…" He looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. "I know, I do. I'm just…" He was still turning Doctor Joe's question over in his head. The truth was, he really did _not_ know what he would do. If his mom did show up tomorrow, he couldn't say if he would go with her or not. He liked it here. He was safe here, and yeah, so… all this stuff with this crazy family, it was great. _They_ were great, and he did sometimes feel like part of it. There were just other times, like tonight, when he was reminded that he wasn't really part of it. "I don't know about all of this," he said quietly, and waved a hand at the open craft box.

"I do." Emily stood up again. "It doesn't have to be anything elaborate Rusty, but trust me. You get to go on the tree. Just once. It's a thing. It makes the Sharon-shaped person happy, so we do it. Okay?"

"Okay, alright, I'll do it." Rusty shook his head at her. "God, you are just like her sometimes, you know that?" He rubbed his hands against his jeans. "Just… get out of here. I'll figure something out. I'm warning you though, I am the least artsy person I know."

"Oh no." Emily laughed. "Trust me on this. _Mom_ is the least artsy person we know." She grinned at him. "Even if you just draw a snowflake on a piece of paper and cut it out, she's going to love it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Rusty waved her off. Left alone in the office, he groaned. He had no idea _what_ he was going to come up with. It was impossible. Emily was insane. He was totally screwed.

When Emily returned without Rusty, Sharon shot a puzzled look at her. "What happened?"

"Nothing. He just realized he had some last minute homework. He'll back in a few minutes." She dropped to her knees in front of the coffee table to finish getting the ornaments ready to go on the tree.

"Well this guy is done for." Andy stood up and lifted a sleepy Joey into his arms. "I've got it," he said, when Sharon started to rise. "I'll be back down in a few. I doubt he'll last long once I get him into bed." He carried the boy over and bent so that he could get the requisite goodnight kiss from his mother. Andy snuck in a kiss of his own while he was at it.

She smiled against his lips. "Hurry back." She tilted her head at him as he pulled away. Her eyes were soft. When the tree was finished, and the kids had gone up to bed, they'd go out on the porch and enjoy the mild December air.

He winked at her. "Flying monkeys couldn't keep me away," he teased.

She rolled her eyes at him. "That joke is old. Find a new one." Sharon watched him go. After he disappeared up the stairs, she turned her attention back to the tree. As had become the habit once her kids were old enough, she picked out the ornaments that she wanted and they arranged them just so.

Rusty was gone for almost an hour and Sharon was tempted to go in search of him when he finally reappeared. He walked quickly toward her. He had a hand shoved in his pocket. The other was wrapped around an object that he shoved at her. "Emily made me do it," he muttered.

Sharon caught the object that he practically threw at her. She fumbled it for just a moment before her hand closed around it. She turned it over and her fingers opened. Settled in her palm was an old chess piece. It had been painted and glitterized, and shimmering, transparent angels wings had been hot glued to it. A small, gold ribbon had been affixed to the top, so that it could be placed on the tree with the other ornaments. "Rusty…" Her voice had gone low, thick with emotion as she looked up at him, eyes shining.

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Sharon." He shoved his other hand into his pocket and shrugged. "Like I said, Emily made me do it. It's not a thing, okay? Just… yeah…" He turned and walked away quickly.

Sharon arched a brow at her daughter. "Emily?" Now she was more worried that Rusty had been pushed too far, too quickly.

"He didn't have one," she said quietly. "You know, considering what he chose, I think we can safely say that it is kind of a thing."

She lifted the piece and held it by the ribbon. The light caught the glitter. Sharon smiled. "Yes, I think you could be right." It wasn't ornate, and it wasn't fancy. It looked exactly like it was, an old chess piece that a child had taken and turned into a Christmas ornament. It was perfect. She wrapped her fingers around it again and drew her hand close to her chest. "It was a good idea, thank you, honey."

"You're welcome." Emily walked back to the tree again.

When he returned, Andy slipped into the arm chair with with his wife. He pulled her across his lap and settled his arms around her. "What have you got?"

She showed him the ornament that she was still holding. Sharon hummed and shrugged. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to directing the kids. They were making Rusty help now. "It's not a thing," she said with a small smile.

He turned his face into her hair. "Uh huh." His lips moved against her ear. "Looks like it kind of is to me."

She hummed again and turned her head. Their lips met, soft and lingering. "Maybe a small thing."

"Hey!" Ricky tossed tinsel at them. "No making out during family time. We are young and impressionable. There are things we don't need to see."

Sharon lifted her head. Her brows arched. "Excuse me." She pressed the ornament into her husband's hand. "I need to go and deal with my son. I'll be right back." She swung her legs over the side of the chair and stood easily. "Richard…"

"Okay, so, you know…" He backed up slowly, hands in front of him. "In hindsight, that might not have been such a good idea. In my own defense, you were kind of getting dangerously close to tonsil land."

"Mmhm." She picked up a handful of the tinsel. "I'd just like to point out, that the mess all of this has made, I expect you to personally pick up every piece. Are we clear?"

Her brows lifted. Her voice had _that_ inflection to it, the almost teasing, but definitely deeper tone. Ricky nodded. "Absolutely, every piece. Especially before the dog eats it."

"Good." She started throwing tinsel at him.

Rusty shook his head as it quickly devolved. Ricky might have been laughing, but he quickly went on the attack. When he picked her up, it became obvious that Sharon's _little boy_ wasn't such a little boy anymore. There was tinsel in Ricky's hair, and sticking to his t-shirt, but he had his mother practically thrown over his shoulder.

Rusty shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. He glanced beyond them to Emily. She had her phone in her hand and was quickly snapping pictures. Rusty snorted a laugh. Looked like Sharon wasn't the only one that was a menace with a camera.

They were weird, definitely, but Rusty was really starting to appreciate the weirdest things in life.


	44. Chapter 44

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 43<strong>

"You're going to pace a hole in the floor."

Andy watched his wife make another circuit of the bedroom. He sat on the end of the chaise that was positioned in the corner of the room, nearest the closet. His arms were draped across his knees while his eyes followed her. She had been pacing for almost an hour now, while worrying over the decision made earlier that day. They signed the consent papers that would allow Rusty to take part in the SIS operation and Sharon was still second guessing that decision. Hell, they both were. The boy could be unpredictable, but Doctor Joe had signed off on the thing. What worried them though, as much as the physical danger of putting him front and center in the letter writer's view, was the emotional damage that could occur. They were putting Rusty back on the street, and granted, they weren't exactly going to be putting him on Sunset Boulevard, but they were taking him away from the securities of his home, and the PAB. As brave a face as Rusty was putting on it, the reality of it could be very different, and what if things went askew? What if he was actually placed in real danger, or injured, or any number of things that could go wrong.

Those were all of the questions that she had been asking. She wasn't going to relax, and she wasn't going to rest. Not until this entire situation was at an end. She was worried about the boy. She was worried about her son. Here, closed off as they were in the bedroom, she could let all of those worries bubble to the surface. She could be the pacing, hand wringing, terrified mother.

As she made another pass, Andy reached out and caught her arm. He gave it a gentle tug and pulled her down onto the chaise with him. Andy scooted back on it to make room for the both of them and wrapped his arms around her. "Okay look," he settled his chin against her shoulder. "I get it, I do. I feel the same way, but we are not going to let anything happen to Rusty. SIS is on it, they're putting together a plan that will make Rusty visible with the least amount of risk as possible. Your guys are on it, and so are mine. That kid is going to be just as safe as we can keep him."

"That's right." Sharon settled her arms over his. She leaned back in his embrace with a sigh. "How safe is that, really? _As safe as we can keep him_. You know how Rusty can be when he's upset, or frightened. He doesn't always think before he acts. He can be so very reckless…" She closed her eyes and drew a thin breath. "This could be a mistake."

"It could also be the best chance we've got." He turned his face into her neck, but continued to simply holder. "You know that, or you wouldn't go along with it. This creep is escalating, Sharon. His letters are becoming more threatening, and we got another one just yesterday. Another one addressed to _you_. He's beginning to see you as a threat. The more he spirals out of control, the more likely it's going to be that he might make a move. The more he's feeling threatened by you standing in the way of Rusty, the more likely he is to make a move against _you_ rather than Rusty. I'm not going to have that."

"Those threats are so ridiculous." Sharon sniffed, insulted by the very idea. "I'm perfectly safe, there isn't a thing to worry about, and you know, I'm also very capable of taking care of myself. I don't need you to worry about me."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I know. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop. It's just the way that it works. Just like me telling you that we've got Rusty covered isn't going to stop you from worrying about him." One of his hands stroked a soothing pattern from just beneath her breasts to her abdomen. The other lay against the back of her thigh, where she reclined against him, knees bent. "You're his…" Andy trailed off, it was getting harder for both of them to make the distinction. "You know, you're allowed to be worried, and you're my wife so I'm allowed to be worried. I need you to be careful, though. You can take care of yourself, I know that. But all of our security is focused on Rusty right now, that means I need you to focus on _you_."

"Nothing is going to happen to me," she said quietly. Sharon turned, shifting just slightly so that she could look up at him. "I'm right here, and I am not going anywhere." She cupped his cheek and leaned forward until her forehead rested against the curve of his jaw. "I just want this to end." She sighed. "I want our kids safe. I want to be able to put the boys in the car and go to the store without worrying about whether or not I'm going to find parking sufficient enough that the security team can stay close to us. I want to drive north, just the four of us, and forget that LA exists for a few days."

"We're going to do that," he said quietly. "We're going to do all of that, very soon."

"From your mouth." Sharon smiled. She rose onto her knees and turned more fully in his arms. Hers slid around his neck. Her head lowered and their lips met. It was a light, teasing kiss.

"What are you doing?" His hands moved up the backs of her thighs. Andy's mouth curved against hers, smiling at the sudden change in her mood.

"Looking for something else to think about." She tugged at his tie, already loose, and slipped the knot. Sharon pulled it from around his neck and let it fall to the floor beside the chaise, then she started working open the buttons of his shirt.

"I feel so used." He nipped at her bottom lip, even while his hands slid upward to brace her hips and hold her in place. "What am I? Your own personal distraction factory?"

"Exactly." She lifted her head and grinned down at him. Her eyes were sparkling again. "I thought that was one of the definitions of marriage?"

"Oh, well…" He shrugged and nodded thoughtfully. "When you put it that way…" Andy wrapped his arms around her and stood. He moved toward the bed with her held tightly in his embrace.

A loud, shocked laugh left her throat. Her arms tightened around his neck as they moved. "If you drop me again," she threatened, voice dipping, low and throaty, playful, despite her mood.

"I didn't drop you the last time," he shot back. "We tripped. If you went down first, that wasn't my fault." He turned his face into her neck, and upon reaching the bed, toppled the both of them.

She laughed again. "No, you dropped me." Her legs wound around him and she rolled, pushing him onto his back. Sharon moved over him, a smirk on her lips. "We're getting entirely too old for this," she drawled.

"The hell you say!" He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back down. Andy settled over her, eyes dancing. "It's not your turn to be on top."

"Really?" Her eyes flashed, filled with defiance and mischief. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth while she considered that. "Hmm… I think we're going to have to see about that."

"I think you're right…"

It was laughter that filled the room, before the low, throaty sounds of passion replaced it. For just a little while longer, the darkness was chased away. It was only a reprieve, the nightmare wasn't over yet.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

If Andy had not already heard, in great detail, just how spectacularly Rusty blew his field test, he definitely would have known that something was up when he got home. It was late when he arrived, well past dinner and both of the kids' bedtimes. He would have liked to have been home earlier, but Robbery Homicide had caught a case earlier in the week, and he ended up spending most of the day down at the Port Authority while they rounded up suspects.

He was tired. He wanted to shower and fall into bed, but there were far more important matters to take care of first.

Andy dropped his jacket over the newel post as he walked through the house. The lights in the first floor were on. If Sharon had already been in bed, she'd have left only the foyer lit. But no, he knew his wife entirely too well. She wouldn't be sleeping, not tonight.

He walked toward the kitchen, following the trail of lights left on in his wife's wake. He tugged at the vest of his three piece suit with one hand, and reached up to rub at the back of his neck with the other. The kid had screwed up. Quite royally, but they expected it. He did pretty well for most of it. Andy called to check on him a few times. From what Provenza and Buzz said, the kid held his own. He was a little freaked out, but he did alright.

That was, until Cooper turned the tables on him. They knew that SIS would test him. They had to know how he would react. They had to know how much work would be ahead of them in filling in the blanks before actually putting him on the street, or if they needed to cancel the whole operation. Even they hadn't expected Cooper to use the kid's mother against him. Put into perspective, even Andy couldn't blame him for freaking out. His mother was the one trigger the kid had. Playing on that was kind of low, but necessary. It had to be done.

From what Provenza told him when he ran into his former partner not too long before heading home, SIS had put Rusty through his paces that day. They would start again in the morning. They were going to run through again, and again, and again until they could trust that Rusty would stay on program. After a day like that, it was no wonder to Andy that he was closed into his room, light off, or so it had looked as Andy pulled into the drive.

Right now, he was looking for his wife.

He found her in the kitchen. She was poised on a step stool, scrubbing furiously at the cupboard near the sink. It wasn't the only one she had cleaned, apparently, or planned to clean. Every dish they owned had been pulled out and placed on the breakfast table in the far corner of the room. Andy leaned against the open kitchen door and watched. Her hair was pulled back, and those cut-off denim shorts that he once fell in love with while she was still pregnant with Joey had made a reappearance. She paired a tank top with it. Andy sighed. Damn, but he wished he wasn't so tired.

Given just how vigorously she was scrubbing at the cabinets, Andy didn't need to know the details of the day. House work, it was her outlet. It told him all he needed to know about the _kind of day _that she had. It was one of those things that he missed about working with her. Being near enough to know when something was wrong, to be able to help, however she needed. This time, he had known. He just couldn't do a damned thing about it, not until he got home.

Andy pushed away from the door frame and walked into the kitchen. "Hey." He spoke as he neared, so as not to startle her. When he reached her, he laid a hand against her hip. He leaned against the counter and let his hand stroke down the back of her thigh. "Haven't seen these in a while." He looked up at her, only a dim sparkle in his dark eyes. "Bad day?"

Sharon looked down at him. She swept a loose lock of hair away from her face with the side of her arm and sighed. "You could say that." She turned on the stool and took a single step down, then she sat on the counter's top. She dropped the sponge in her hand into the bucket of warm soapy water on the counter beside her before she pulled at the rubber gloves adorning her hands. "The kids are in bed. Joey could hardly keep his eyes open during his bath, and Rusty…" Sharon exhaled slowly, quietly and shook her head. "Rusty had a long day and decided to go to bed early."

He draped his arm across her legs and stroked the length of her calf. Andy's shoulder bumped hers. "He was never going to pass the field test, Sharon. He was never meant to. That was the whole point of it. Rusty had to know that he's got a trigger, and Cooper needed to see how far into left field he would respond." He looked at her, and the sadness in her gaze tugged at him. "_Now_ he's ready to listen."

She hummed quietly and leaned toward him. She settled her chin against his shoulder. "I know. I just hate to see him looking so defeated. He really thought that he was ready. It doesn't even really help knowing he was safe the entire time, not fully. He was frightened, terrified, and he's still shaken by it. It had to happen, but…"

"You don't have to like it." He leaned his head to the side and let his lips brush her hair. "I don't. It was hell on the kid. He should be wondering about whether or not he's going to get all his credits in this next semester, and what college he's going to go to in the fall. He should be dodging girls and thinking about chess and video games. Normal kid stuff. He shouldn't be having to think about police action and dangerous stalkers."

"Normal kid stuff?" Sharon managed a small smile. "Rusty never had a chance at a normal childhood. Sometimes I wonder if we're making this harder on him. The more we try to give him a normal life, the harder he gets hit by everything that we're trying to protect him from. The trial, the letters, all of it. It's as though we're building an illusion, but the reality of it is so much stronger that it's constantly being shattered. How is that boy ever going to have a chance when _everything_ is stacked against him."

"He's got you," Andy rumbled quietly, lips moving against her hair. "No one is more stubborn. You're not going to give up. You can be downright mean when you're provoked." Andy drew back and looked at her. "All of this is going to end eventually. That trial, it's going to happen at some point. Stalkers screw up eventually. With Rusty in plain sight, this creep is probably going to screw up pretty soon. We'll get him." he stroked her leg again. "He'll finish school. He'll go to college, and yeah, he's going to play plenty of chess. He had a bad day. But we knew that it wasn't going to go that great."

"Yes." Sharon lifted her head, but continued to lean against him. "I know. He had to fail today to be ready to listen. He was arrogant. Cocky, even. It was the only way to open his eyes." She shrugged. "I know we're going to get through this, I just wish it would happen a little faster. He should be going to school with his friends and spending more time with people his own age."

"Rusty isn't comfortable with people his own age," Andy pointed out. "He's a kid, yeah, but Sharon…Rusty was right. In so many ways, he's years beyond his classmates. There's not a damned thing we can do to fix that. It's a hell of a thing, but it is what it is. All we can do is just… keep up with what we're already doing."

They were the safe place. Their objectivity was shot, there was no way that they could be trusted to remain stoic in the face of all of the hurdles which lay in Rusty's path. Instead, they could only remain behind, to be the place that he ran to when he fell. It was all that any parent could do.

"I know that we said we would wait," Sharon began, "but I'd like to go ahead and set a meeting with the lawyer. Rusty is turning eighteen in a few months. I'd like the adoption to be final by then. I don't want him to think that just because he's aging out of the system that he will have to leave." She paused for a moment, while her gaze turned pensive, and even a bit anxious. "That is, if you're still onboard with it?"

"I am." He grinned at her. "I said we would do it, and we will. The kid is family, we're not going to let him go anywhere, besides…" Andy snorted. "Adopting him this close to his birthday, Rios can't throw a fit about it, especially if we throw Julio at her. I bet he'd be willing to take one for the team."

"Oh, I'm sure that you're right about that." Sharon rolled her eyes. "Let's refrain from resorting to immature behavior." She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "I'll make the appointment. Shoot me a copy of your calendar in the morning." Their schedules depended on their cases, but other appointments such as depositions and court cases, were pretty much set in stone on their calendars.

"Yeah." Andy took out his phone and sent himself an email reminder to do just that. When he heard the quiet giggle beside him, he nudged her. "Don't laugh at me, I'm an old man."

"I won't dispute that." She lay her chin against his shoulder again. "Ancient even."

Andy slanted a look at her. "Hey," he wiggled his phone at her. "I'm trying here. I am embracing the technology and keeping the wife happy. What else can a guy do?"

"Not a thing." She kissed the curve of his jaw before she leaned away. Sharon looked around the kitchen and sighed. She had managed to make a bit of a mess in her quest to completely scrub everything. "I should finish up down here. If you want to go up, I won't be far behind."

"Right." He snorted at her. Andy gave the kitchen a pointed examination. "Sharon…" He looked at her, eyes sparkling. "There's not a single dish that you left in the cupboards." He arched a brow at her. "You even pulled out the picnic stuff. Really?"

She heaved a sigh and nudged his shoulder. "I was in a bit of a mood."

"A bit?" He grinned as he lifted his arm and dropped it around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to go and change. I'll come back down and help."

"No." Sharon smiled warmly at him. "Go to bed. You're exhausted. I can take care of this. It's my mess, I'll finish putting it back together. It's not the first time."

"Oh, I know that." Andy smirked as he pushed away from the counter and released her. "Makes that time you rearranged the living room look mild. I'll be back," he said. "Just try to refrain from scrubbing holes in the cabinets. It's not going to get you new ones."

She pouted at his retreating back. "But honey, you promised me new cabinets for my birthday." She fluttered her lashes at him. "Gosh, whatever are you going to get me now, diamonds?"

Andy grumbled as he left the kitchen. "Dammit Sharon." Somehow, he was pretty sure, he just walked right into that one.

"Language!" She called after him. Sharon laughed as she stood and reclaimed her spot on the stool.

While he was upstairs, he looked in on Joey and changed into something far more comfortable than his suit. A pair of sweats and a t-shirt was suitable enough for a late night bout of kitchen cleaning. On his way back down, Andy stopped outside Rusty's door. From underneath, it was obvious that the light was out, and not a sound was forthcoming. He shook his head and decided to leave it alone for the night. The kid had a rough day. He'd give him until the next day before they talked about it.

When Andy got back to the kitchen, his wife was back to scrubbing the cabinets. He shook his head at her. He had to admit, going to the shooting range would have been far more satisfying, as far as working out one's frustrations, but with a far less interesting view. He grinned as he walked back into the room. He took a survey of it, then began returning dishes to their proper locations on the shelves his wife had already cleaned. After that task was complete, he took up another sponge and got to work alongside her.

They worked in silence, but it was companionable. They didn't always need words to fill the space between them. A look, a sigh, it was enough. There were times, however, such as this one, when all that they needed was the presence of the other. When Sharon leaned back, rolling her shoulders, Andy took over cleaning the shelves to the left of the sink. She stepped down, onto the second rung of the step stool and held her sponge to one side as she leaned against his back. Her other arm draped over his shoulder and she pressed her lips into his hair.

Water dripped from the rubber glove adorning her hand onto his arm. Andy arched a brow and glanced back at her. When she shrugged and smiled at him, he flicked his sponge at her. Sharon turned her face away, quickly, and stepped down off the stool completely. She made a low grunt of disgust. She moved a few steps away from him. Her eyes narrowed. Sharon's head tilted while her lips pursed. She watched him or a moment. He glanced back at her, amused, but unconcerned. A smirk tugged at her lips. Sharon gave her sponge a squeeze and flicked her wrist at him. She sent several drops of soapy water flying at his head and then flashed a smug smile at him.

Andy turned slowly. "Yeah?" His dark eyes glittered. "Okay, Sharon." He squeezed his sponge out completely before he pushed it back into the bucket, completely filling it again. Then he held it aloft, like a weapon, and strode toward her. "For the record," he pointed out, "you started it." He tossed a long, arcing wall of water in her direction.

She turned away, with a bit of a squeak, but it splashed across her shoulders and back. "Oh…" The water soaked into her tank top. It had grown cool while they cleaned. Her jaw clenched for just a moment. Sharon shuddered. Her eyes narrowed. "_That_ was uncalled for," she said. Sharon walked around him, she gave him a wide berth and walked toward the sink. When she flipped on the faucet, instead of soaking her sponge again, she reached for the sprayer and pointed it at him.

"Son of a—" He almost tripped over the stool trying to get away from it. The water was cold. It soaked the front of his t-shirt in a matter of seconds. Rather than dodge away from her, he took three large steps forward and curled an arm around her waist. Andy swung her around and away from the sink. While he was at it, he squeezed what remained in his sponge down her back.

She squealed loudly and dug the heel of her foot into his instep. Sharon dug her elbow into his side, just hard enough to make him free her, without hurting him and twisted out of his grasp. He held on to her arm, however. The floor was wet, and laughing, they slipped and slid across it as they both struggled to get the upper hand in their little game.

Laughter, the sort that shook the body and stole your breath. That was what Rusty heard when he came downstairs for a drink. He wasn't sleeping, but he had stayed in his room all night. He felt tired enough to sleep, but his mind wouldn't stop working. He ran a hand through his hair as he stepped into the kitchen doorway. A frown drew his brows together. They were like children, laughing, wrestling, and making an absolute mess of the kitchen that it looked like they might have been trying to clean. Rusty stepped to one side, just out of view, but peeked around the frame of the door. It wasn't like it was unusual to find them like this, and it was a lot better than what he could have found.

Rusty sighed. He leaned against the wall outside the kitchen and tipped his head back against it. They looked happy, which was kind of rare these days. Everyone was all wrapped up in the stupid trial, and those stupid letters. He wanted it to end, they all did. Rusty wanted to help make that happen, he just never realized that it would be so hard.

Another high pitched laugh, followed by a much deeper rumble made Rusty glance into the kitchen again. They were fighting over the spray nozzle again. Someone was going to end up having to mop the floor. Rusty shoved his hands into his pockets. He shook his head.

He used to think that there were only two things that he really wanted. To finish school and to play chess. Rusty didn't think that there was more that he could ask for. They only ever asked him to be safe, to be kind… He snorted quietly. Well, that was Sharon. Andy wanted him to not be such a smart ass, but he was usually grinning when he said it.

Now, however, there were other things that he thought about. He could still hear Doctor Joe's voice in his head, asking him what he would do. If he would stay or go, if his mother was ever to return. That wasn't an easy decision to make. For a long time all he wanted was his mother. Now he wasn't so sure. Rusty wanted to know where she was. He wanted to know if she was safe. He wanted to know why she left him and why she couldn't come back for him. There were so many questions that he would like answers to.

He looked into the kitchen again. There was a stirring inside him. An ache that went deeper than any hurt or joy he felt before. It was almost physical, painful, this ache in his chest. It moved upward, making his throat feel dry. His jaw clenched against the sensation. In his pockets, Rusty's hands clenched into fists. It was almost panic, the feeling that moved through him. For just a moment, he thought about leaving. He thought about what it might be like if they didn't catch the creep writing the letters. What if Emma got her way, and he had to leave.

Rusty thought of Doctor Joe again and ducked quickly around the door frame, so that he wouldn't be seen. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and drew a thin breath. _Stay_, he thought. _I want to stay_. If given the choice, he didn't want to be anywhere else.

He wanted to come home to walk the dog and take out the trash. He wanted to roll his eyes and groan because he was being reminded, again, not to leave his sneakers or hoodies laying around in the family room. He wanted to sit in his room and read, or play chess. _His_ room, painted and decorated in the way that _he _wanted. A place that he could go and close the door and not be bothered. He wanted to stretch out on the floor, in the family room, with a book and get dive bombed by the two year old with the bony knees and elbows.

Most of all, he wanted to walk into a room and find the _weirdest parents _on the face of the earth doing God only knew what half the time. He wanted to be able to tease them about flooding the kitchen floor, or messing up all of the laundry that was just folded because somehow it became more fun to throw it each each other than actually _fold _it.

He wanted someone to keep secrets from, like the one from Christmas, because they didn't need to know that he caught Emily and Buzz practically making out on the back porch. Or that they had gone out at least three times while she was home for the holidays. Although, knowing Sharon she probably already knew anyway, but Rusty wasn't telling. He wanted burgers for lunch on Saturday when Sharon wasn't home, and wasn't supposed to know about it, but Andy got them anyway and that was their thing.

They were crazy and they were weird, and sometimes they drove him absolutely insane. There were rules and lectures, and they had all these funny ideas about college and his future. But they were all the same ideas that they had about their own kids, or Joey at least, since the others had already gone to college.

Stay. If his mother walked up to the front door tomorrow, even with everything that was happening, he would stay. He _wanted_ to stay.

The noise in the kitchen was all but gone. Rusty glanced inside again. They'd given up on the water nozzle. They were both drenched, and so was the floor. Their grappling had given way to slowly swaying, arms wrapped around each other. Not quite dancing, but not exactly standing still either. They weren't kissing, but he figured _that_ would start anytime now. It was not something he wanted to see. It was gross. He just knew that someone was going to end up breaking a hip one of these days.

Rusty pushed away from the wall and made his way back across the family room to the stairs. Gross, crazy, and weird. He was pretty sure he had all the bases covered with those.

There was no where else that he wanted to be. Yes, he would stay. He only hoped that when it was over, they would let him.


	45. Chapter 45

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

**A/N:** This is where I begin to depart canon my friends. The Wade Weller storyline never really made sense to me. All that buildup for an unknown killer with a weak connection to Stroh? When I tried to fit it into this storyline, I couldn't make it work. So, I decided to go with my own theory of who was really writing the letters.

Again I thank you all for sticking with me on this insane ride. You've all been so wonderful. Your comments and reviews are greatly appreciated and make my writer's heart sing.

**chattympc** - I hope I can live up to your faith!

**kate04us & lontanissima** - You know I love you girls right? You keep me going with this thing. Best partners ever!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 44<strong>

It was late when Rusty got home. He always seemed to get home late these days. After being at the chess park all day he had to go back to SOB and answer questions. There was always a debriefing. Cooper had questions for him about everything, and not just Cooper either. Detective Sykes and Lieutenant Provenza were there, Sharon was there sometimes too, listening quietly as he was asked the same thing, over and over again, but in different ways and by different people. Sometimes Chief Taylor would show up. They all wanted to know the same thing. What he saw, who he spoke to. As if they didn't already know, they had the whole thing on video and audio. They knew everything that he knew, but it was important to get his take on it, Cooper said.

Did anything stand out? Did anything make him feel weird? Did anyone seem too familiar with him? Had he seen anyone that he knew or could have known?

It had been almost a week now, of his going out and sitting in the chess park, waiting for the nut job that was writing him the letters to show up. So far, nothing happened.

Rusty sighed as he let his bag slip from his shoulder. Once he was inside the house and the door was locked, he felt like he could breathe. He set the alarm before he trudged into the family room. Andy's car wasn't home, but Sharon's was. She always waited for him while he did his debriefings. Even if she couldn't be in there with him, she waited. Tonight was different. Tonight Patrol brought him home.

Joey had the flu. He caught it at daycare and then he shared it with his mom. So nice of him, Sharon said, that he was learning to share. Although, it wasn't exactly how she would have liked it. Both of them had been home sick for the last two days. Andy drove him home last night, but tonight, Rusty was at the mercy of patrol.

Major Crimes had a case, and with Sharon out sick they couldn't spare anyone to give him a ride. Andy had a case too, and was out in Silver Lake picking up evidence. Rusty was cool with it. He wasn't upset that Patrol had to bring him home. He just wished they could have done it a couple of hours ago.

Rusty dropped his bag onto an armchair and shook his head at the sight that greeted him. Sharon was wrapped in a thick robe, feet up on the coffee table, watching a movie. _Waiting up for him_. She paused the movie as he came into the room, and Rusty felt horrible. "You should be in bed," he told her.

"I'm sick of being in bed." In addition to the robe she was wrapped in a soft, fleece blanket. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, and as he took a seat on another arm chair, she pulled her legs onto the sofa and folded them beneath her. "How did it go today?"

"The same." Rusty slumped in the chair. He let his head fall back to rest against the back of it. "I didn't see anything. No one approached me. That I know of. Since I don't even know _who_ is writing the letters, I could have played chess with him all day yesterday and not know it. Yay!"

She smiled gently at him. "I'm sorry Rusty. We told you this might not be very easy. Or very fast. These things take time. If you'd like to stop…"

"No." He raised his head and shook it at her. "God no, Sharon. That's not what I meant. I want to do this, I really do. I'm just… I guess I was hoping that it would happen soon. It's a lot different than I thought it would be." It was much scarier. He didn't realize how used to having security around him all the time he was, until it wasn't there. At least, not that he could see it. He knew he was surrounded by cops, but he felt better when he knew where they were.

"I know." She drew a pillow into her lap and hugged it. Her head was pounding and her body was aching. Sharon ignored it. "Rusty, reality is never what we imagine it to be. The truth is, you could be at this for weeks before we make any kind of break through. Or we may never have one at all. When you feel like you've had enough, I want you to tell me. This doesn't have to continue indefinitely. We will find another way."

"I believe you." Rusty shook his head again. "I will tell you, Sharon. I promise. I just… I really feel like I have to do this right now." He shrugged, because they'd had this conversation before. He chose to change the subject instead. "Where's Joey?"

"Upstairs." She lay her head back against the cushions of the sofa and closed her eyes. "He's asleep. I think he's feeling better. Children are resilient. I wish I could say the same for the rest of us."

Rusty couldn't stop the crooked smile that curved his lips. "Isn't that why you made me get my flu shot?"

She sighed, deeply, and cracked her eyes open to glare at him. It lacked any heat, but glare at him she did. "Reminding me of my own faults won't do you any favors, young man." She sniffled, and reached for another kleenex. "Besides, I will remind you, Joey had his flu shot and he still got sick."

He smirked at her. "Joey got his flu shot and has a really mild case of it." Rusty leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. "Joey's mom _forgot_ to get her flu shot and is miserable. Lesson learned."

"Yes!" She tossed the throw pillow off her lap. She slapped it against the cushions beside her and huffed. "Yes, I forgot. My god, the two of you are never going to let me live this down are you?" She made the appointment, she really did, but Sharon had forgotten about it and then was just too busy to make another one. She kept intending to get it done, but life was busy. There was so very much going on. Neither Rusty or Andy was letting her hear the end of it though, or the fact that both of them had taken the time to do it, and neither was ill. Rusty was also correct in that Joey only had a mild case of the flu and what amounted to the equivalent of a really bad cold.

"If you were us," Rusty asked seriously, "Would _you_ let _you _live it down?" He made a face at her and then grinned again. "You can't blame us. We get our superiority in whenever we can, it happens so rarely."

Sharon groaned at him. "It's not fair to make fun of me when I'm ill, Rusty. It's just not very kind." She risked a look at him to see if being whiney would work. No, he was still smirking at her. Sharon huffed another sigh. "Oh fine, alright. You two win this one. Happy now?"

"Not that you're sick," Rusty said sincerely. "What did the doctor say?"

It was Sharon's turn to smile widely. She smirked right back at him. "Well, I'm not pregnant." She had been nauseous and dizzy for three days before finally the full brunt of the flu had stricken her down with fever, chills, and all that went with it. The look of abject panic on Andy's face when Rusty asked, outright, if she were was worth any of the teasing she was getting from the boys about her forgetfulness.

"I think that much is obvious _now_, Sharon." Rusty rolled his eyes at her. "Hey, you can't blame us for asking."

She could, she really could. That was the last thing she needed now. A pregnancy scare at fifty was even far less amusing than it had been at forty-seven. Although, three years ago it was actually possible. Now, the possibility was so remote as to be extinct. She snorted quietly and lay her head back again. Her eyes closed. "The doctor told me to get plenty of rest, take in fluids, and avoid stressful situations like having my so—uh—foster son tease me about impossible things."

"I don't know your medical history," Rusty told her. "I was just putting it out there. You were turning green at the thought of drinking water. It was Andy that flipped out."

She sighed softly. "Yes, but had you been here when Joey was born, I think you would understand better why he did that. It isn't something that we like to talk about. I almost died, and we almost lost him. I think we'll give Andy a break this time, okay?"

"Yeah," Rusty pushed out of his chair. "I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything? Tea?"

She was so sick of tea. They were pouring it down her as though it was the cure for everything. Sharon smiled at him and hummed. "Yes, that would be nice. Thank you." If she never drank another drop, it might be too soon. Or it was just possible that she was cranky because she didn't feel well. Sharon kept her eyes closed and felt, rather than saw Rusty leave the room. She hummed again and shook her head. She chuckled quietly. In hindsight, it was a rather amusing moment.

"_Are you sure that you should even go to work today?__" __Andy stood near the bookshelf, his jacket hung on the newel post beside him. He slid his phone into his pocket and finished snapping his badge onto his belt before he reached for his jacket. He was already wearing his gun and handcuffs. His eyes tracked his wife__'__s movement as she propped herself against the sofa before bending down to slide into her heels. She was pale, and not entirely steady on her feet after having spent the morning, and much of the previous few days feeling ill. __"__Sharon, the entirety of Major Crimes isn__'__t going to fall apart because you take a day off. I think they can handle it.__" _

_She snorted at him as she straightened. Sharon smoothed her hair back. __"__If the Lieutenant ever finds out that you said that, he__'__s going to want it in writing.__" __She leaned against the sofa for a moment. The idea of calling in was appealing, but if it the day went anything like the previous few had gone, she would be feeling better by early evening. Honestly, she was sure that she had picked something up from Joey. The past few days he had been cranky and whiney, a sure sign that he was probably coming down with something too, and not feeling well himself, despite that he hadn__'__t been feverish. No doubt it would all run its course soon. _

"_Who said I was talking about Provenza?__" __Andy smirked at her. __"__I meant Tao, oh and Julio. Hell, even Buzz,__" __he chuckled. __"__They will keep the place running. You__'__ve got nothing to worry about.__" _

"_I__'__m totally telling him that you said that.__" __Rusty finished sliding Joey__'__s shoes onto his feet and then let the boy down from the sofa. As he straightened, he pulled his bag over his shoulder. __"__You know, Sharon, Andy could be right. I mean, I know you want to be there, but it__'__s okay, really. It__'__s not the first day in the park. I__'__ve been doing it a couple of days now, and maybe you need a day off.__" __He wondered if it was just stress. She seemed to have started getting sick when he started going out onto the street with SIS. _

"_The two of you are very sweet,__" __Sharon told them, __"__but I am perfectly fine. It will all blow over in another day, I__'__m sure. I think I can stand it for that long.__" _

"_Sure it will.__" __Andy walked over and ran a hand down her arm. __"__That__'__s why you can barely standup straight.__" __He cupped her chin and lifted it. She was still much too pale for his liking. __"__You said that a couple of days ago too,__" __he reminded her. __"__It hasn__'__t gone away yet. Maybe you should see a doc. You and Joey.__" _

"_If it keeps up or he starts to feel worse, I will.__" __She wrapped a hand around his wrist and smiled up at him. __"__I__'__m fine, and I__'__m going.__" __She couldn__'__t be with Rusty in the park, but she could peek in on the surveillance monitors. She could also go with him to the debriefing at the end of the day. She wouldn__'__t miss it. Not if she didn__'__t have to. _

_Rusty just shook his head at them. He watched Joey pick out a couple of toys to stuff into his bag for daycare and a disturbing thought came to him. __"__Oh my god.__" __He turned to stare at them. His eyes were wide, his jaw hung open. Rusty went a little pale. His stomach churned. __"__You__'__re not pregnant are you?__" _

_She snorted as she giggled. __"__No, Rusty.__" __Sharon shook her head. __"__Believe me, that ship has sailed.__" __Her head inclined. __"__Actually, not so much sailed as it sailed and then sank. After Joey, it__'__s just not possible anymore.__" _

_Andy__'__s hand dropped. He stared down at her. His eyes narrowed speculatively. Actually, what Rusty said made a lot of sense, and he was beginning to think they had been down this road before. He felt his stomach drop and his head swim. __"__Highly unlikely.__" __Andy blinked slowly. __"__The doctor actually said that it would be highly unlikely, not impossible, and that was on the subject of going to term. I don__'__t remember her saying anything about__—"_

_Sharon laughed again. She couldn__'__t quite recall ever seeing him look so pale. She grabbed him by his upper arms and gave him a little shake. __"__Breathe. I am not, and I cannot stress this enough, _not_ pregnant.__" __She cut a look at Rusty. __"__Thank you for panicking the old guy.__" _

_The teenager simply shrugged. __"__What? It makes sense! You__'__ve been sick for days, basically only in the morning, and with the way that you two__—"_

"Okay_!__" __Sharon let go of her husband and clapped her hands together. __"__This conversation is over. We all have somewhere to be.__" __She walked around the sofa and took the toys that Joey was playing with. She placed them in his bag before lifting him onto her hip and the bag onto her shoulder. Sharon walked to the front door and opened it. She stood there a minute before she looked back. __"__Rusty, are you with me today? If you are, let__'__s go, the taxi is leaving.__"_

_Rusty grabbed his bag and trudged toward the door. __"__Not my fault I__'__m the only logical person in a world of crazy,__" __he muttered under his breath. _

"_Logically grounded,__" __Sharon stated as she followed him through the door._

As Sharon recalled, by the time she got home that evening, she was feeling much worse. She was already running a fever and was considering making a doctor's appointment. Joey too was beginning to show more signs of feeling badly. By morning they were both miserable. That hadn't stopped Andy's mind from running wild with Rusty's suggestion.

She laughed again, remembering. When he got home that evening he had three different pregnancy tests with him. He locked them in their room and wouldn't let her leave until she proved, quite successfully, that he had nothing to worry about. The poor thing was terrified, a fact that she could understand after what they'd gone through with Joey's birth and his subsequent stay in the hospital.

Humoring the husband. Sometimes it was just a necessary fact of life. Afterward, she gave him a pat on the head and fell into bed. He didn't have to suggest that she call in sick the following day, even she had known that she wasn't going anywhere. She had gladly gotten up and pulled Joey into bed with her.

Bed, it was sounding very, very good at the moment. Sharon sighed at the thought of having to get up and make her way up the stairs. She wasn't feeling very up to it at the moment. Maybe she would stay on the sofa just a little longer. Movement had her eyes opening. She looked up as Rusty approached, holding a cup of tea. It made her stomach churn and her throat close in on itself. Sharon smiled as she took it. "Thank you, honey." She cradled it in both hands and took the obligatory sip before placing it on the coffee table in front of the sofa. Then she lay sideways and pulled her blanket more firmly around her. She curled around a throw pillow. Maybe she would stay right here on the sofa until Andy got home. Then the stairs wouldn't seem so steep and horrible. "You can pick a movie if you'd like," she told Rusty. "Or if you'd rather go on to bed, that's okay."

"I'll put a movie on." Rusty reached for the remote and turned on the AppleTV box. They didn't actually buy or rent much in the way of DVDs anymore. He grinned as he waited for it to load. Ricky, he was getting the old people down with the technology. Rusty glanced over at Sharon. She looked really horrible, not that he would _say_ that to _her_. He would like to go to bed, but it seemed kind of… wrong… to leave her laying on the sofa looking so terribly sick. He curled sideways in the wide arm chair and got comfortable. "Explosions or laughing?"

"Hm." She grunted. Her eyes were closed. "Laughing with explosions. Compromise, Rusty… it's all about compromise."

Rusty smiled as he went to their list of movies to begin scrolling through them. "You're feeling a little loopy right now, aren't you?"

"Just a little," she said with a smile. Sharon snuggled into the pillow and the blanket and forced her eyes open. "Help me listen for Joey, okay?"

"Yeah, I can do that." He shook his head and glanced over at her. Her eyes were closing again. Rusty just grinned. He chose a movie and got more comfortable. He curled his legs up in the chair and stuffed a throw pillow beneath him as he lay sideways in the chair.

They both fell asleep before the opening credits finished rolling. Rusty realized that when he woke a little later. He lifted his head and blinked sleepily. The movie was still playing. He heard a noise and yawned, stretching. That would probably be Andy, he thought. He sat up in the chair and then stood to stretch more fully. Rusty paused the movie and craned his head toward the kitchen, listening. He heard another noise, but there weren't any lights on. Actually, now that the thought about it, the light they always left on the foyer, for whomever was late coming home, was still on. Andy always turned that off.

Rusty walked toward the front windows and glanced toward the driveway. Only Sharon's car was parked there. He looked across the street, his security team was still there. Rusty frowned as he walked back toward his chair. It could have been his imagination. Except that he heard it again. He glanced toward the sofa, and yes, Sharon was still laying there. Rusty felt his throat go dry and his hands grow damp. It could just be patrol he was hearing, checking the backyard as they did sometimes at night. Only the noise sounded closer than that.

He walked quietly toward the sofa and knelt there. He didn't want to wake her. Rusty wavered on it for a moment. He was tempted to go and check the house himself, only his heart was pounding in his chest. He set the alarm when he came in. He _knew_ that he set it, and he locked the front door. He never forgot to do that, so why was he hearing noises in the house? His stomach twisted and churned. Rusty chewed on the inside of his lip. God, she was sick, and if it was just his imagination… He stared down at Sharon for a few moments and weighed his options. In the end, fear won out. He lay a hand on her shoulder and gently shook it.

She hummed as she came awake. Rusty quietly shushed her and leaned closer. When her eyes fluttered open, he swallowed hard. "I heard something," he whispered. "In the house. Andy isn't home."

It took a moment for his words to push through the fog and the ache in her head. When they did, she sat up. She shoved off the blanket and swung her legs down. "Upstairs," she whispered. Sharon swayed on her feet when she stood, and had to hold onto Rusty's shoulder for balance. Joey was upstairs, but so too was her gun… and her phone. "Go," she prodded him gently.

They both stopped at the foot of the stairs. Rusty looked back at her, eyes wide and dark with fear. They'd both heard that. It sounded like someone rifling through something in the office. "Shar—"

She placed a hand against his mouth and shook her head. She looked pointedly up the stairs and gave him a gentle push. She held firmly to him as they made their way up. By the time they reached the top of the stairs she had broken out into a cold sweat and her head was spinning. Her legs felt heavy. Sharon pushed it aside and prodded Rusty down the hall. She let him hover in her bedroom door as she went inside. The lockbox was on the dresser. She keyed in the code and it clicked open. She took her gun out of it and checked the clip. Then she took her phone off the charger. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. It was as much from the effort of coming up the stairs in her condition as it was adrenaline. Sharon shrugged out of her robe, knowing she would want more freedom of movement and tossed it onto the bed. The air in the house felt cool against her arms when she was left in only a tank top and pajama pants. Sharon moved to the closet before leaving the room and took an old, wooden baseball bat out of it.

"Across the hall." She took Rusty's arm and maneuvered him to Joey's room. She checked on her baby, still sleeping soundly in his toddler bed. His legs were drawn under him. Finn was beside him. The dog's head rose when they came into the room. She pointed a finger at the dog. "Stay," she whispered. Sharon turned and looked at Rusty. The boy was frightened. His eyes were wide, and a bit panicked. "Rusty…" When she thought she had his attention, she pointed to the small dresser. "Close this door, lock it, and push the dresser in front of it. You stay here, do _not_ leave this room. Do you understand?" When he only nodded, quickly, and with his eyes darting toward the hall, Sharon cupped his chin and drew his gaze back to her. "_Rusty_." Her stomach churned. Her legs were starting to tremble a bit. "Lock the door, stay with your brother." She held the bat out for him. "Do you understand?"

He stared at it. Finally, Rusty wiped his sweating palm on his jeans and reached for it. "I understand. Lock the door, stay with Joey. Got it."

"Good." She nodded once. "You don't open that door for anyone but me, Andy, or Major Crimes." That was the plan that was derived in case anyone did manage to get past Rusty's security team and the house security. Rusty and Joey would be locked in the toddler's room; the situation would be called in, and every cop who was aware of the situation knew that Rusty wouldn't open the door unless it was his foster parents or a member of Major Crimes. Anyone who managed to get past her or Andy, or any adult home with the kids, could pass them self off as a cop in an attempt to get at Rusty. It was better to stick with those he knew. Those he trusted. Those that _they_ trusted.

As she turned away, Rusty grabbed her arm. "Sharon." She was sick, maybe she should stay with them. They could call for help.

"Stay here," she said firmly. She slipped out of Rusty's grasp and stepped out into the hall. "Rusty, stick to the plan."

He nodded. He waited for her to pull the door closed between them. Rusty almost felt like crying. Even as he reached up and slid the security latch. He slipped the lock on the door knob too. Then he grabbed the small upright dresser and scooted it across the wooden floor until it was barring the door. Rusty backed up slowly. His heart was pounding in his chest. He reached into his pocket and palmed his phone. He swallowed hard as his thumb swept across it. _Stick to the plan_. His phone basically had a panic button that Lieutenant Tao had programmed into it. It was as simple as a text. It would send everyone running to his location. He sent it now. It wasn't even until it was done and he was sinking into the rocking chair that he realized what she said. _Stay with your brother_. Rusty's stomach rolled. He glanced toward the bed.

Oh god. It finally sank in. The plan. The reason he had the bat in his hand. They were trusting _him_ to take care of the kid? While they took care of him? Rusty felt his lips tremble a bit. His hand tightened around his phone. He looked down at it. _Hurry hurry hurry hurry. _

In the hall, Sharon waited outside the door. Her eyes closed when she heard the clicking of the locks. She didn't move until she heard the dresser slide into place in front of the door. She exhaled quietly and slowly through her mouth as she lifted her phone. She turned it over in her hand. Rusty had his own instructions to follow, but she had hers. His text would alert everyone in their trusted sphere that something was happening. She was calling dispatch.

She spoke quietly as she gave the operator her badge number and alerted her to the situation. She was off-duty and armed, that could make her a target too. She really hoped her own people would get there first. Afterward, Sharon tucked her phone into the pocket of her pajama pants. She flipped the safety on her gun and started down the hall, and then the stairs, moving quietly on bare feet.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

The police radio went off as Andy turned onto their street. His phone was lit up and vibrating in the center console too. He drove slowly down the lane as he reached for it. He glanced at the screen. It was the automated alert that Tao had set up to go to all of their phones if Rusty was in trouble. As far as he knew, Patrol had dropped the kid at home a couple of hours ago. Andy wondered if they were testing it. They'd done that a couple of times, but usually Tao warned them first.

His radio sounded again, however, and this time it drew his attention. Andy reached over and turned up the volume on it.

"_Be advised, all cars in the vicinity of the 1300 block of Carroll Avenue and West Edgeware Road, an intruder alert was phoned in. All cars proceed with caution. There is an armed off-duty LAPD officer on scene__…_"

Andy swung his car to the curb. He palmed his phone and pushed out of the vehicle. He was only three houses down. He scanned the street. The unmarked car was still parked in its usual spot across from the house. Andy kept his hand on his gun as he strode down the street toward it. The uniformed officers assigned to patrolling their neighborhood would have heard the alert too. He was expecting them. His jaw clenched as he approached the car. Both of the officers assigned to watch Rusty were still inside. They should have received the text.

If they had, they didn't know it. His stomach clenched. Andy felt his chest tighten. He exhaled quickly. The plain clothes officers were still in the car. Both of them were dead. There was a bullet hole in the chest of one, the other was missing the side of his head. He turned away from the gruesome sight and scanned the house. The only lights that were on were those downstairs. The foyer and the living room, and the light was dim. That would be the lamps.

He jogged across the street toward the house. Going in the front would be obvious. He would round the house and slide in through the back door. He had only a couple of seconds to make the decision, but the sound of two gunshots turned his jog into a sprint. Rather than pushing through the gate as he intended, he ran up the front steps of the porch. The door was locked. Andy took a step back and kicked it, twice, before it gave way. The frame splintered and cracked, but the thick, oak door swung inward.

Andy had his gun in hand and the safety off as he walked through the foyer. He rounded the entry way into the family room. His stomach dropped as two bodies fell through the wooden rail of the stairs. He aimed, but in the dim lighting he wasn't going to risk the shot. Not with his wife grappling with the attacker. Andy strode over instead. He holstered his gun as he reached them. He caught the guy around the neck and drew back with him. "Picked the wrong house, asshole."

"Knife!" Sharon rolled, back throbbing. She was winded and dizzy. He'd landed on her as they fell. She moved to her knees. There wasn't a single part of her that wasn't throbbing. Her stomach rolled, she thought she might be sick, more from already being sick than the actual encounter. Her eyes swept the floor. She dropped her gun when they fell. She looked for it, and finding it, she scrambled toward it.

She warned him about the knife at the same moment he felt the blade slice his leg. Andy grunted as an elbow was driven into his side. Feisty little bastard. The man was stocky, but he wasn't very tall. He kicked, and Andy realized the creep must have landed it, he heard his wife grunt. Fury boiled through him as he hauled the guy backward, well away from her. He twisted with him and tossed him into the wall with as much force as he could manage. Then he swung, driving a fist into the guy's head. He came back fighting though, and he saw light glinting off the blade of the knife. Andy reached for that arm, but not without being cut first.

They were trading punches and both were trying to get control of the knife. Sharon's hand closed around her gun and she rolled sideways. She sat back, the bookshelf behind her, and lifted it. It was simply too hard to get a clean line of sight on the intruder. Her hands and arms were shaking. She lowered the gun twice, squinted in the dim lighting from the foyer and the lamps in the family room.

"_Andy_!" Her chest clenched, heart dropped when he stumbled aside, an arm wrapped around his middle. The knife was poised again. She took her shot. Sharon squeezed off two rounds before her husband could charge his opponent and get in her way again.

He jerked, the knife clattered to the hardwood floor beneath them. Andy straightened, teeth clenched and bared. His ribs were aching from a well placed hit. The knife wounds on his arm and leg were stinging. He took a step forward and kicked the knife to the side, well out of the dirtbag's reach. "Why does it always have to be a knife," he groused. Two shots, both of them center mass. Andy turned and his eyes scanned the room until they fell on his wife. He started toward her.

She set the gun on the floor beside her and let her head fall back against the bookshelf. Her eyes closed. Adrenaline and illness were playing havoc on her system. The room was spinning around her. She held out a hand when she felt him stop in front of her. Sharon hummed and grunted with pain as she was drawn upward and into a tight embrace. Her hip jolted painfully, she had landed on it in the fall. She wrapped her arms around him and turned her face into his neck. Only for a moment. "The boys."

Sharon pushed away from him and he let her go. She was unsteady on her feet and starting up the stairs. Andy turned to follow her.

"Freeze." Uniformed officers stormed in from the front door.

"Where the hell were you five minutes ago?" Andy cast a scowl at them. "We're LAPD." He had his hands up and turned slowly. "Badge is on my belt." His lip curled at them. Always late to the party. "The dirtbag is on the floor. Call it in and call a bus." When the officers holstered their weapons, he lowered his arms. "Go," he told Sharon, who had paused on the stairs. He would handle the uniforms and the scene.

She nodded once and continued her climb. She used the wall for support. When she reached the top, she limped her way down the hall. She could hear Joey crying and the dog barking as she approached the end. "Rusty." She knocked on the door and spoke over the sound of the toddler's frightened cries. "Rusty, it's me, you can open the door."

It took a few minutes. She heard the screech of the dresser against the wooden floor. Then the click of the latch, and finally the door knob. It swung inward and he stood in front of her. Joey was in his arms, sobbing and frightened. Rusty didn't look much better. His eyes were wide, and he was pale with panic. Joey was reaching for her, but she shook her head as she stepped forward. She didn't have the strength to hold him at the moment. She almost toppled when she caught Finn's collar as he ran past her. The dog was barking and struggling, wanting to get at the cause of the commotion downstairs. "Finn!" The barking stopped, but he whined and strained against the hold she had on him.

"We heard shots, and…" Rusty trailed off and shook his head. He couldn't explain what all went through his head. Or how many times he was tempted to rip the door open and go downstairs to help. _Stay with your brother_. She was trusting him and that was the only thing that kept him there.

"It's over." Sharon told him. "Rusty, it's okay." She drew the dog across the hall sent him into her room. She closed the door behind him. She noticed Rusty still wouldn't leave Joey's room. He stood on the cusp of the threshold. She smiled a bit tremulously as she walked back toward them. "It's over," she said again. When she held out her arm, he finally stepped forward. She swayed on her feet, and leaned into him as his arm closed around her, clinging tightly. She wrapped her other arm around Joey, although she didn't take him. "Shh, baby it's okay." Which of her sons she was crooning to could be anyone's guess.

"Who…" Rusty swallowed hard. He held on tight and tried to tell himself that it was because she looked so sick and was shaking. He wondered, though, if some of the shaking was him. "Who was it?"

His voice, so small, so childlike. Sharon drew back a bit. She swept his bangs back from his forehead. She glanced at Joey and rubbed his back. A small breath was drawn. "Douglas Grand," she said gently.

Rusty drew back as though struck. "Doug, but… I…"

It was the man with whom he had been on a _date_ on the night that he saw Phillip Stroh burying the body of his last victim. A man who was facing a trial of his own given the fact that Rusty was only fifteen years old at the time. A man that had every reason, and everything to gain from Rusty disappearing. A man who had been terrorizing him for months. A man that was now lying dead on her floor.

"Rusty," Sharon spoke gently, "there is nothing that you have done wrong. That man chose to blame you for all the things in his life that have gone wrong since that night in Griffith Park. _Nothing_ that has happened since is your fault. Understand?"

"But Sharon, he could have—"

"_Rusty_." She shook her head slowly. "No. It is over now, and you are safe, and there is no one to blame for his actions but him." She cupped his face. "Okay?"

He closed his eyes and nodded. He didn't really know if he believed that. If not for him, none of this would be happening. Doug never would have broken into their house, and Joey wouldn't be scared, and Sharon… Rusty's eyes opened and widened. "You're hurt," he realized. He swallowed hard and shifted where he stood. "Oh my god, are you—"

"I'm fine." Not exactly, but in comparison to what could have happened, she would take it. She hurt all over and wanted nothing more than to collapse somewhere, but couldn't. Not yet. There was a scrape across the back of her shoulder where the wood of the bannister splintered as she and Grand fell through it. Her hip was throbbing from having landed on it, and she was sure there was a bruise forming where he kicked her. Her boys were alive, they were safe, and Douglas Grand would never get close to either of them again. She was perfectly okay.

"But you're hurt," Rusty protested. "Sharon, what… and you're sick, and, oh my god." He ran a hand through his hair and bounced Joey on his hip.

"Rusty." She smiled warmly at him. "Really, I promise you, I am okay." She rubbed her hand up and down his arm. He didn't like being touched, but he was allowing it for the moment, and she let herself indulge in soothing him. "Take a breath," she instructed. When he had, she nodded. "We're going to go downstairs. I don't want you to look at the body. I don't want you to let Joey look at the body. Can you do that?" She met his gaze and held it. "I'm going to take you both to the kitchen and you're going to wait there while we settle all of this. Okay?"

The body. Rusty swallowed hard and nodded. They'd heard several gunshots. It stood to reason if Sharon was there, Doug was dead. "We won't look," he promised.

"Good." She wrapped an arm around him and drew him out of the room. "Let's go." She held onto him until they reached the stairs. Then Sharon relinquished him. She sighed at the thought of having to manage them again. She pressed a hand against the wall as she started down. Then she felt a hand curl around her other arm and glanced back. Rusty looked at her and she smiled gratefully. She really did adore that child.

With Rusty's help they made their way down the stairs. There were uniforms swarming the family room. She spied Andy as she came down with the boys. When they reached the floor, Sharon drew Rusty around her and put herself between him and Douglas Grand's body. She walked with him to the kitchen and left the officers to do their job. Sharon wasn't surprised when Andy followed her. She maneuvered Rusty into a chair at the kitchen table and turned when her husband pulled the kitchen door closed. They always left the swinging door propped open.

"You okay?" His eyes were on the kid. Andy strode toward them. He'd have liked to take Joey, but his arm and leg were still bleeding. It was a steady trickle, nothing severe, but he didn't want to get it on the kid. He put his hand on Rusty's shoulder instead. His eyes narrowed as he studied him. He was pale, but he seemed to be functioning.

"I'm okay." Rusty nodded. "It's…" He shrugged. He couldn't say exactly what was going on in his head. It was all pretty mixed up still. He sighed. "It's fine," he said finally. "But Sharon…"

"I know." Andy turned his attention her. His eyes swept over her. He was finally able to take stock and make sure that she was okay. His hands landed on her shoulders and he drew her forward. "Sit down," he instructed.

"I need to go back and give my statement," she reminded him. Sharon smiled, even as she leaned against him. His good arm wrapped around her and she leaned, gratefully, into his solid form. "I shouldn't have left the room. I need to—"

"I don't give a damn about your rules right now." Andy pressed his lips against the top of her head. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun. She was pale and sick, he could feel the fever burning through her. She was injured from the fight, and really, over all, she'd had a hell of a night. Their letter writing creep had broken into their home, threatened her kids, and tried to go through her to get to Rusty. The rules could take a hike. "You need to sit down," he said gruffly.

"Hm." She was still leaning against him. Neither of them were moving. "Yes, maybe, but you're the one that is bleeding," she reminded him. Sharon leaned back, just a bit, and let her eyes move over him. There was a bruise forming on his jaw. His knuckles were bruised, one of them was scraped. She lifted a hand and gently prodded the wound on his right, upper arm. She hissed quietly and let her eyes move lower. There was a cut across his left thigh. Sharon looked up again. Her hand cupped his cheek.

He lowered his head to hers and exhaled a shaky breath. He walked in as she fell through the bannister, Grand on top of her. Andy's hands came up to cup her head. "Sit," he rumbled quietly. "I'll have them come to you. Stay with the boys."

Her hands circled his wrists. She felt the shudder run through him, the way his muscles bunched. "Okay," she agreed finally. "I want you to get those seen to as soon as the bus gets here."

"Yeah." Andy held her for just a moment longer. Then he pushed her into a chair at the table. He wanted her looked at first, but he'd get them tended to. "I'm going to go and check on the guys. Our people should be arriving soon."

Sharon smiled up at him. "My people, you mean." Her hand slid down his uninjured arm as he stepped away from her.

"Whatever." Andy shook his head. He smirked at her. "Don't worry, I'll make sure FID knows where to find you."

"You do that." Sharon leaned against the table and propped her pounding head in her hand. "They still love me." He grumbled again as he left. Sharon let her eyes close.

Rusty watched her. When she lay her head down on the table, pillowed on her arms, he shifted in his seat. "Sharon, are you okay?"

"Hm." She grunted. "The flu really stinks."

He managed a small smile. "Guess you'll remember to get your shot next time, huh?"

Sharon groaned. They really were never going to let her live this one down.


	46. Chapter 46

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 45<strong>

"You didn't let Douglas Grand or the flu beat you." Rusty spoke quietly in the silent room. Only, it wasn't really silent. Monitors still beeped around them. He could hear the hiss of the IV machine. He was seated on the edge of the chair, leaning forward. He watched the woman in front of him, silent and small, and pale, so very pale. If he thought she'd looked horrible with the flu, that was nothing compared to now. "You never let anything beat you before," he said. "Andy told us that we should say goodbye. I can't…" He trailed off when his voice broke. He knew, logically, it was the thing to do.

Rusty looked down. He stared at his hands. They were clasped loosely together. "You can't give up, okay?" He glanced up again, and his eyes were burning. His throat ached. "I know I'm not supposed to say that. We're supposed to let you go, but I can't do it. You wouldn't let me go. You didn't stop fighting for me. How can anyone expect me to do that?" Rusty wiped furiously, stubbornly at his eyes when a single tear slid down his cheek.

The night she killed Douglas Grand, despite being sick and hurt, and ten kinds of worried about him, Joey, and Andy, she spent hours answering questions. She had to give her statement over, and over, and then give it again. There were police officers in their house for most of the night. The place was a crime scene, and they ended up spending the night and a couple of days after in a hotel.

Between FID and Chief Taylor, and oh yes, DDA Rios, Sharon got put through the ringer that night and into the next morning. Rios wanted to know if Grand was, in anyway, working for Stroh. Now they would never know. They couldn't find any connection between the two men, and it was finally ruled that Grand acted on his own. It was because of his own trial and the fact that Rusty would have been called as a witness in that one too.

It was a justified shooting. There was no question about that. The man broke into her home, threatened her life, and the lives of her children. That she was ill did not make her impaired, exactly, at the time of the shooting, although Grand's family had tried to push that. They even filed a wrongful death suit. It didn't go anywhere. It got dismissed. The man killed two cops. The gun he'd done it with was found outside the basement window, which was how he had gotten into the house to begin with. His prints were all over it, not to mention the residue on his hands. As if that wasn't enough, they were able to trace the sale of the gun and the illegal silencer he used back to Grand. It settled the case pretty effectively. Still, they'd had a rough couple of months following that night. It all got better eventually.

Then, it just changed completely. Rusty got a call to go and see his social worker, Cynthia. He hardly ever heard from or saw Cynthia anymore. She checked on him, regularly, as she was supposed to. Those check-ins came quarterly and just amounted to surprise visits at the house. It was all so formal and legal, but they'd already had their visit for that quarter. Rusty wasn't expecting to hear from her again. On top of that, she always came to him, she never asked him to come to her before.

He remembered being nervous when he went to her office that day. He wondered if he had done something wrong, or if, given all the upheaval and trouble with the letters and Doug, if he was being moved to a new home. His stomach was in knots when he sat down with Cynthia. He never dreamed it was going to be good news.

Cynthia calling him was just procedure. She had to do it. She had to inform him that a formal petition had been put forth with DCFS to adopt him. The foster family that he was living with was requesting to make the arrangement formal and permanent. His mother's parental rights would be terminated, and he would no longer be a ward of the state. Cynthia also reminded him that he was turning eighteen in a couple of months. Either way, he would stop being a ward. Then she impressed on him how good this was, and how rarely it happened.

Rusty didn't hear a whole lot after the words _The Flynns want to adopt you_ were spoken aloud. He remembered staring at Cynthia and nodding in all the appropriate places. She was telling him, officially, as a formality. The paperwork was already being processed. DCFS was going to approve the request.

_He was being adopted_.

He went home in a daze and on autopilot. He no longer had security following him everywhere. He wasn't under house arrest, and he didn't have to be accompanied by Andy or Sharon anymore. Rusty had chosen to finish the year with his online school. He liked being able to do it at his own pace, or rather, at Buzz's pace. He also got to spend more time playing chess or hanging out at the police station. Emily was coming home a lot more, although Rusty knew the truth behind that.

They went to the beach, and they took Joey to the park. He was getting his life back and it was wonderful. Now he was being adopted.

He spent the whole day thinking about it. What it meant and how he felt about it. He didn't say anything when Sharon got home that evening. Not at first. She was acting a little odd too, and he knew now that it was because Cynthia had already told them about meeting with him. Rusty waited until Andy got home. He joined them in the kitchen while they were getting dinner ready. He leaned against the center island, fidgeting a bit.

"_Do I have to change my name?__"_

_They looked at each other first. Sharon__'__s attention remained on the stove. It was Andy that shrugged at him. __"__Not if you don__'__t want to.__" _

"_What if my mom comes back?__" __Rusty shifted. He chewed on his bottom lip. __"__She still might.__" _

"_Yes.__" __Sharon turned slowly. __"__That__'__s always a possibility. If she does, then you will see her. We__'__re not going to stop you, Rusty. That isn__'__t the point. The adoption doesn__'__t change that.__" _

_He looked down at his hands, fidgeting with the bottom of his hoodie. He was playing with the zipper. __"__Why didn__'__t you tell me?__" __He looked up at them and his gaze was tentative at best. __"__You tell me everything else. Why did you let Cynthia do it?__" _

"_We didn__'__t know if DCFS would approve the request,__" __Andy told him. He exchanged a look with his wife. __"__We didn__'__t know how you would feel about it. If you hated the idea, then Cynthia could stop it. You__'__d still have a home here. Nothing is final yet.__" __He shrugged. __"__We can still stop it, Rusty. It doesn__'__t have to happen.__" _

"_Everything can stay exactly the way that it is right now, Rusty.__" __Sharon smiled at him, her eyes were warm, but it was a little tremulous. As if she were expecting him to say no. _

_Rusty looked down again. This time he shuffled his feet. They were afraid that he wouldn__'__t want _them_, when all this time, he just hoped that he wouldn__'__t have to leave. __"__So__…" __He shifted again, and looked up. __"__So I can stay?__" __They were staring at each other, him and Sharon. He saw her eyes fill. She nodded. _

"_You can stay,__" __she said, in a voice thick and filled with emotion. _

"_Okay.__" __Rusty looked down once more. When he looked up again, she was standing in front of him. He shrugged at her. __"__I__'__m going to be eighteen soon,__" __he said quietly. __"__I just thought__… __you know__… __when that happened, I would go.__" _

"_No.__" __She pulled him to her, and for once he went easily. He clung to her and she realized that he was trembling. __"__No, you get to stay Rusty. There will always be a place here for you. No matter what happens, we will always have room for all of our children.__" _

"You know," Rusty said, the memory of that day falling away. "It doesn't really work so great if you're not here. You said that I could stay with you, but what about you? The whole point of the adoption was so that I would have a family. How is that supposed to work if you're not here? You don't really think we're going to be able to hold it together, do you?"

Rusty ran a hand through his hair. He shook his head. "Come on, Sharon. Let's be honest about it. Andy is already falling apart. Oh yeah, he's putting on a good show, but really? The guy is practically a walking zombie. He's trying to do all the right things for you, and it's killing him. How long do you think he's going to last without you? Do you even get that? Do you know how idiotic it is to think that he could be left by himself with all of this. What about Joey? Huh? I mean, yeah okay, so what. I only got to have a real mom for a couple of years, and you were only really my mom for a year, but what about Joey? He's going to turn four soon. Do you think he's going to remember you? Andy says we're not going to let him forget, but _come on_!"

He leaned forward in his seat again. "What good are pictures and stories when he won't know what it sounds like when you laugh? Or how you snort when it's really funny. He's never going to know what it sounds like when he's _really _in trouble. Or what it's like to walk into a room and find you guys acting so totally stupid that it's unreal. Forget whether or not he's going to remember you. He's never going to know who his parents are. That you guys can get downright goofy wrestling around on the floor like couple of kids, or that you throw flour at each other in the kitchen. Joey is never going to get to roll his eyes at how you guys finish each other's sentences or have whole conversations without saying a single word. He'll never need therapy because you can't keep your hands to yourselves and think the kitchen is a good place for making out. It's wrong," he told her, "and you know that it's wrong. You cannot be giving up on us right now, because if you are, I'm never going to forgive you."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, lips trembling and eyes wet. "I can't do it. I can't say goodbye."

"I know the feeling." His grip tightened on the boy's shoulder. Andy drew a shuddering breath. The kid was angry, and he got it. He was damned pissed off himself. It wasn't supposed to end like this, that much was true. Rusty was right, what kind of life did they have without Sharon? It was all the things that none of them wanted to say, but all of them were thinking. Andy sat down on the edge of the bed. He took her hand in his. It was small, cool to the touch. "They want to take her back to surgery," he said quietly. "Her labs don't look good. They think she's still bleeding. But they don't think she's strong enough."

"So…" Rusty's chest clenched tightly, stealing his breath. "If they don't do it…"

"She'll die. If they do, she'll probably die. It seems to be the going theme lately." Andy continued to hold her hand. His other reached out to smooth the hair away from her face, so limp and lifeless.

He didn't want to ask what Andy was going to choose. Rusty thought he already knew. She would go back to surgery. He was going to give her a fighting chance, even if that meant losing her completely. It was what she would choose for herself. "What happened?" Rusty looked at him now. "That's the one thing you haven't told me. I mean, we've been telling stories all day, but you haven't told me what happened to her."

Andy sighed. "I wasn't there." That was probably the part that stuck the most with him. It had fury coursing through his veins. It joined the regret and sorrow that he was already feeling. "They were going to question a witness. Turns out the witness was their suspect. They had no reason to think the guy was a threat. She wasn't wearing a vest, none of them were. He pulled a gun, got a shot off before Julio could take him down, that was it." _I wasn__'__t there_. Andy's jaw clenched. He wasn't watching her back. He wasn't there to protect her. He was across town working on a case of his own. Tao and Sykes had to come and pick him up, tell him what happened.

That was the part that Andy didn't think he would ever forgive himself for. Not being able to protect her. His jaw clenched. Andy looked down at the hand that was held in his. "I know you don't feel like you can forgive her," he said quietly, roughly. "She's your mom, and she's not supposed to leave you, but she's my wife. I was supposed to protect her." He never wanted a drink more in his entire life, but the only thing keeping him there was the kids. Knowing that they needed him, and being terrified that if he left for a second she would leave him and he would miss it. He could almost taste the bourbon on his tongue and it made him queasy. It made him sick with guilt. He didn't want to be weak right now. He wanted to be the man that she thought he was. The man that she expected him to be. The husband and the father, but all he wanted was her, and all he could feel was his own terror.

Rusty leaned forward and let his face fall into his hands. He shuddered. "It's not supposed to be like this." He drug his hands across his face. His teeth scraped at his bottom lip. "The story doesn't end this way."

"We don't get to choose our endings." Andy lifted his eyes away from his wife to stare at their son. The one that they had chosen. The one that chose them. "Just like we don't get to choose how we begin. It's only the middle that we have any say in." He shrugged, jerked his head toward the woman on the bed. "She told me that."

"That sounds like something that Sharon would say." Rusty slumped backward in his chair. "So what do we do? What happens?"

"I don't know Rusty." Andy sighed. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing in all of this. I'm just trying to… not be a complete asshole or letdown. I can't think about anything beyond right now. I know what I'm supposed to do. We all said goodbye, and I've made all the phone calls that I was supposed to make. But I have no goddamned idea what comes next." That pissed him off. "My wife is dying today, Rusty. I just want it to be tomorrow."

There was a hitch in his voice, and a dampness to his eyes. Rusty thought maybe that would be the end of it for him. If Andy started crying, he was screwed. There would be no coming back from this, he would lose whatever hold he had on all of his own tears and they would both be completely lost. As in, call the guys in white coats and load them up on happy pills, lost.

"Okay," Rusty finally said. "So let's do the damned surgery and find out what happens. For the record, I'm kind of sick of the maternal units in my life putting me through hell." His mother was in jail, his other mother was dying. Yeah, he'd had it with that. That was what happened after he got adopted. His mom came back, alright, long enough to fail at rehab and go to jail. Good thing he had this _real_ family because his other one sucked.

Andy grinned, in spite of the grief and the horror of the situation, and although it was weak, it was a grin just the same. "Rusty." He shook his head at the boy. "Language."

The teenager sighed. "Oh sure, _now_ he starts caring about language. My dad, the responsible one."

He stroked the lengths of the fingers held in his hand. "Do as I say, not as I do."

"Oh my god!" Rusty's palm slapped against his forehead. "You have been listening to her, and she's not even awake to know it."

Andy snorted as he stood up. He leaned over the bed. His lips were gentle against hers. "I'll be back," he promised. He straightened and looked at the kid. "Let's go find the doctor. Oh, and you're not telling her."

Rusty pushed out of his chair. "Dude, I'm totally telling her. Actually, I'm telling the world. I'm kind of disappointed in you. This is sad." Before he pulled away completely, Rusty let his fingers brush Sharon's arm. He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye, but he would allow himself that much.

He held the door open and lay a hand against the boy's shoulder as he slipped past him and through it. "Does the word _grounded _mean anything at all to you?"

"Nah." Rusty managed a weak smile. "The words _I__'__m telling mom_ are way more powerful than that."

Andy grunted quietly. He glanced back as they left the room. He really hoped the kid got the chance.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Waiting. Always with the waiting. They were all getting tired of that. Emily tipped her head back and closed her eyes. It was the not knowing that was so hard. They kept waiting for something to happen, and nothing really was. It was all a lot of guessing and trying, and hoping for the best. A hand rubbed her leg and she let her eyes open. She looked at the man beside her and smiled. She was seated sideways on the bench seat, her legs draped over his lap. Emily stroked her hand down the length of Buzz's arm and slid closer. She let her head lay against his shoulder and sighed. Her gaze wandered the waiting room.

Ricky was sitting forward in his chair, staring at the floor in front of him. His girlfriend was beside him. They had only been dating for a few months, but already she liked Barbara. The girl was energetic and fun, and when Ricky left Palo Alto with only the clothes on his back upon hearing about their mother, Barbara had driven down from Napa. Her parents had a small vineyard there and she had been visiting them. She drove to Palo Alto and put together what Ricky might need for an extended visit, she then got on a plane and joined him. Emily decided she absolutely adored her. This one was a keeper, she just hoped that her brother realized that.

Emily's gaze further circled the room. All of her mother's friends and squad members were there. Her stepfather was seated in a chair close to the door. He too was staring at nothing. The older guy, the Lieutenant was beside him. The two of them looked so lost, it was sad, and just a bit heartening. After everything that they had been through with her father that her mother could be loved and liked so well.

Only her grandparents were missing. They'd gone to sit with her mother now that she was out of surgery again. She had come through it much better than the doctors believed. They were warned that she might not come out of surgery at all. Yet she had, and she was still hanging on. Emily thought that only proved just how stubborn her mother could be. She wasn't giving up. Not without a fight.

Her head turned, she looked at the man beside her. "I think I made up my mind." She spoke quietly, not wanting the conversation to carry to the others. Her brothers could be so nosey, the both of them. Ricky would run tattling to her mother at the first chance. Rusty would hold on to the secret, she knew, just like he'd held on to the other one. She loved them both, but this conversation wasn't for either of them. "I can't keep flying back and forth."

Buzz looked at her. His brows drew together in concern. They talked about this the last time that she was in Los Angeles. They had been playing this long distance game for over a year. It was wearing on both of them. Emily was torn between wanting to be in LA with her family, and with him, and wanting to continue her dancing career. The truth was, however, that she was nearing a point when she was going to have to choose between dancing and another career anyway. It didn't seem right, though, not when she had only been dancing professionally for a few years. That was the reality of ballet, she was nearing a point where she was almost considered _too old. _

It was hard, too, to have a relationship across several thousand miles. Especially when everyone that they knew didn't know about it. Well, or so they thought. Apparently they weren't as stealthy about it as they believed. Buzz sighed. "You can't make that decision right now. It isn't the time." The entire ordeal they were facing was too emotionally draining. None of them should be making any major decisions right now.

"It's never the time," she whispered back. Emily sighed. "Look, I know that you don't want me to make any decisions that I am going to regret. But I'm going to _have_ to make a decision. We can't keep doing this." She glanced at the others and leaned closer to him. "Look, honey, it's not about the dancing. I can do that here. I went to New York because I wanted to join the ABT, and guess what, I did that. There are ballet companies here, and some very good ones too. Or I can look at Auction houses, museums, galleries…" She poked his side and smiled, although it hardly reached her eyes. "I could even be in a music video, or a movie. There are a thousand things that I could do. But they are a thousand things that I could do _here_."

Buzz cast a quick look at Flynn and then the other members of his team. So far their conversation had gone unnoticed. He looked at her brothers before he drew his gaze back to Emily. "So what is going to happen if you make that decision now and then you regret it? It's not like you can pick up and just go back to New York again."

"I know," She stroked his arm again. "We've been thinking about this for a while, though," she reminded him. "This is something that I have been considering for weeks. I'm not going back to New York right away, anyway. Buzz, think about it. If my mom makes it she's going to be in the hospital for a while, and then there is her recovery. I can't leave in the middle of all that. Rusty and Andy are going to have their hands full and I can't just leave it in their laps." A tremor went through her and she looked down. Emily swallowed hard. Her bottom lip trembled. "If she doesn't make it Buzz, I'm not leaving anyway. They're going to need me."

"Don't talk like that." He curled his arm around her and held her close. "It's not over yet. She made it through another surgery. That's a good sign, I think." He didn't really know how to feel about any of it. It shouldn't be happening at all. Experience taught them, however, that police officers got shot, and far too often, they didn't make it.

"Maybe." Emily shrugged. "Or it's just another delay until the inevitable. I don't know, Buzz. I just know that it's time that I came home." She looked up at him. "I'm ready to come home. You wouldn't like it in New York anyway, it's too cold for your southern California blood. Besides, I'm not going to ask you to leave all of this. You love your job. I get it, Buzz, I really do. My mother wanted me to fly away and chase my dreams. What makes you think I'm not doing that now?"

He smiled sadly at her. "Because your heart is breaking," he said quietly. He reached up with his other hand and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"No." She curled a hand around his wrist. "It's hurting, but it isn't broken. Not yet." Emily thought about it. "Maybe not at all. You know, there's just enough Raydor in me that if I had to bet, I would bet on my mom. I would always bet on my mom."

"Me too." Buzz looked away from her as her grandparents came back into the room. He felt his heart drop and his stomach knot. "Em." He pushed her legs off his lap and stood, drawing her with him. Emily's grandmother was crying. They watched Andy sprint out of the room.

"Nana?" Emily moved to her grandmother's side. She felt Ricky beside her. Their hands linked. "What happened?"

Miranda had a hand pressed to her lips. There were tears on her cheeks. She shook her head and looked up at her husband, unable to speak. Joseph drew her closer. "She's awake." He felt like he'd aged a good thirty years in the last several hours. He looked down at his grandchildren, and their joined hands. He watched the other one, the newest one, join them. The boy was fidgeting nervously. He seemed to settle when Emily wrapped an arm through his. Joseph cleared his throat and repeated himself, a little louder this time. "She's awake."

Emily and Ricky looked at each other. Then they looked at Rusty. The three of them seemed frozen, but just for a moment. They moved at once. They dodged around their grandparents and sprinted out of the waiting room.

Two different nurses told them to slow down. An orderly actually stepped in their way. He almost got bowled over for his trouble. They scrambled around him and came to a stumbling stop outside of their mother's room. Rusty and Ricky practically tripped over each other. They stared through the glass window.

Andy was seated on the edge of the bed. He was bent forward, head laying against her chest. His shoulders were shaking and it was readily apparent, even from this side of the glass, that he was crying. Emily's nails bit into Rusty's arm, where she gripped it. Their mother's eyes were closed, but she had a hand in his hair. Her mouth moved, and then her eyes fluttered open again. She was awake. She was really awake. Emily turned away from the scene. She leaned against Ricky's side, let her head rest against his shoulder.

The sound she made had Rusty looking over at her. "Emily…" He leaned back from the window and drew his hands out of his pockets. His brows drew together. "Hey, it's okay. She's awake… It's…"

Emily shook her head and waved a hand at him. She turned her face into Ricky's shoulder. Her brother rolled his eyes. He looked over at Rusty. "She's laughing." He looked down at the girl he usually wasn't so embarrassed to call his sister. "She's flipping laughing."

"I'm sorry." Emily's entire body shook. She guffawed, even as her knees buckled. She kept an arm wrapped around Ricky's and bent forward. "That incredibly… _stubborn__… _crazy… wonderful…"

Rusty shook his head at her. He rocked back on his heels. He looked at his brother and sighed. "Girls."

Ricky grunted. "No, it's worse than that." He slanted a look at him. "Sisters." He shook Emily. "Come on, pull it together, weirdo. Mom is watching." Indeed, she had looked toward the glass. Ricky nodded at her.

"I'm sorry." Emily swept a hand beneath her eyes. She had laughed until the tears came. "I can't help it. She makes me insane! Do you know what it's like to have a mother that just… keeps scaring the godawful crap out of you?"

"No." Both boys said. "Not at all."

"Right." Emily straightened. "Okay, I'm good." She shook her hair back and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly and nodded. "Really, I promise. It's okay now." She turned and looked at them. "Oh… by the way…" She walked around Ricky and wrapped her hand around the door knob. "I'm getting married. Don't tell mom." She flashed a wide smile at them and sashayed into the room.

The boys stared after her, mouths agape.

Moments passed before Ricky and Rusty looked at each other. "Don't look at me," the former said. "She's your sister." He shook his head again and walked into the room after his sister.

"What?" Rusty threw his hands up. "Why is she always _my_ sister when she's crazy?" He sniffed as he followed Ricky. "I swear to god, there is a normal family out there somewhere, desperately trying to find me."

"Yeah?" Emily grinned widely at him. Her eyes were still shining with unshed tears. "Too bad about that stork problem huh? You know, I still think we need to file a complete with the W.S.S."

Ricky frowned at her. "You really have gone round the bend haven't you?" He leaned close to his sister and sniffed. "Are you drunk? Did someone slip something into your coffee earlier? Emily, I thought we told you, no Baileys while mom is doing the inappropriate dying thing. It's not cool."

"World Stork Service." Nicole slid into the room. She had gone for coffee, only to come back and hear the news. Charlie was with her, he waited for her to return before joining them. "Rick, honey, you don't pay a lot of attention to our emails, do you?" She poked Charlie. "He's not paying attention. Fix it."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Charlie had his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He walked forward with his sister, to stand near the end of the bed. They both let their hands rest against the foot board, as they stood, shoulder to shoulder. Their step-siblings were crowded around the other side. Well, their step-siblings and half-brother. Emily was holding her mother's hand. Ricky, who was on Emily's other side, had a hand laying on her shoulder. Rusty had his hands shoved into his pockets, looking relieved, but not as physically demonstrative as his older siblings. "I can't make him read the emails. Actually, I'm kind of bothered by it too. I read the damn the emails. What the hell man?"

"I'm a busy guy." Ricky protested. "I don't have time to read the millions of emails and tweets that you people generate every day. I mean, my god, don't you have lives? What would your bosses think if they knew that your phones were permanently attached to your hands?"

"Obviously." Rusty looked heavenward. "He's so busy he can't even get a decent haircut." He looked at Emily. "How are we related to him again?"

"Oh my god. Has no one had the talk with you?" Emily's other hand smacked against her forehead. "God, this is not what I signed up for! Okay, so, Rusty… It's like this. Our mom and my dad…"

"Please don't finish that." Rusty took a step away from them, looking disturbed. "Those are not images that I ever wanted." He inched closer to his other siblings, at the foot of the bed.

"Seconded." Nicole and Charlie both raised a hand.

"Still confused here," Ricky stated, sounding frustrated. "And what is wrong with my hair? It looks great. Barbara loves it."

"Sweetie, you've been dating for four months," Emily reminded him. "She loves everything about you."

"She's supposed to," Nicole told him. "It's called the honeymoon period. Not that she won't always love everything about you, but right now, she's not going to complain about the hair. Really?" She shook her head at him. "I'd get it fixed if I were you. Honestly, why would you do that to yourself?"

"It saves me time!" Ricky huffed at them.

Charlie shook his head. "So the story goes," he said, deciding to take pity on the guy, and his bad hair, "that the stork dropped Rusty off at the wrong house and it took all this time for them to track down the delivery. Which is why we are supposed to file a grievance with the World Stork Service."

"You people need help," Rusty decided. He looked at them. "I mean, you get that's not how it really works right?"

Nicole nudged Charlie. "He's your brother."

"Why is he _my_ brother when he's being a smart ass?" Charlie stared at her.

She flashed a smile. Nicole's dark eyes were sparkling. "Because when he's doing that, he's all Flynn."

He sighed. Andy shook his head. He looked down at his wife. Her eyes were alight, and there was a tired smile curving her lips. "I can only take responsibility for two of them," he said quietly.

"Hm." She hummed quietly. Her eyes drifted closed. She was so very tired. She couldn't feel anything, that would be the pain medication. The same medication which was drawing her back toward oblivion. "No," she said quietly. Her voice was weak, but it was all that she could manage. "They're all yours. My children are sweet and kind, and would never behave this way." Sharon forced her eyes open and looked up at him. Her hand felt so heavy, but she lifted it to cup his cheek. Her thumb swept away the last of the tears.

He took her hand in his. It was trembling. That was the pain cocktail and her own weakness. Andy wrapped his fingers around it and drew it toward his chest. "Maybe you should go ahead and rest. I think the meds are going to your head, sweetheart. Your kids would behave _exactly _like this."

"Yes, we would." Emily leaned over the bed, she hesitated only a moment before she wrapped her in a loose, careful embrace. "You scared us," She whispered.

"Scared myself." Her eyes closed again. She managed to touch Emily's arm, but couldn't manage to return the hug. "I'm sorry baby, I'm really tired."

"That's okay," Emily smiled down at her. "We'll be here when you wake up again." She pointed a finger at her. "You'd better wake up."

Eyes closed, a smile curved her lips. Didn't that sound oh, so familiar? Sharon hummed. "Yes ma'am."

"Alright." Andy stood up. "You heard her. Come on guys, let's clear out. Let her get some rest."

"What?" Ricky smirked. "She's been doing nothing _but_ resting. I swear, mom, you're getting kind of lazy in your advanced age."

Sharon groaned. "Charlie, honey…"

"On it." He grabbed his step brother and pulled him toward the door. "Come on doofus. Let's go find some coffee. Maybe some food. Oh, and you can introduce me to that cute girl that thinks she's dating you. I need to change her mind."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "I swear, they are worse than my boys." She watched them go. She looked back toward the bed and smiled. "Welcome back, Sharon. I'm really glad that you're doing better." They couldn't know if she was really out of the woods yet, but being awake was a good sign, she thought. "I'm going to go and…" She backed up slowly. "Keep those two from making bigger fools of themselves."

"That one is all mine." Andy grinned at his wife.

"I should go with her." Emily sighed. "They can be a handful. It takes two big sisters to make them behave." She touched her mother's arm and slipped away again.

Rusty shuffled toward the bed. He stood near Sharon's feet and lifted his gaze slowly. "You know, we might be tempted to behave a little better if you didn't scare the crap out of us like that."

Sharon forced her eyes open again. She looked at him. She held out a hand and when he came closer, she wrapped her fingers around his. "Come here." She beckoned him closer. When he bent down, she lay a hand on his arm in lieu of being able to hug him. "Rusty, I'm never going to leave you. Not if I can help it."

"I know." Rusty held on just as tightly as he dared. "I just wish you didn't have to prove it."

"Me too." She stroked his arm. When he straightened, she smiled tiredly up at him. "Do me a favor?"

"Yeah." He shoved his hands back into his pockets and stepped back from the bed. "Anything. What is it?"

"Make this one go and get something to eat? Maybe some sleep. And my god, Rusty, please talk him into shaving. A shower wouldn't be too remiss either."

He pressed his lips together and bowed his head. Rusty laughed quietly. The aggrieved, "_Dammit Sharon_" had his shoulders shaking. Rusty nodded his head. "I'll do my best."

"Thank you, honey." She already felt herself drifting again. "Bye Andy."

He scowled down at her. "Love you, too, babe." She grunted at him, she hated being called that. He sighed. At least if she was drifting off, she wasn't slipping away. Andy shook his head. "Fine, let's go. I need to go and check on Joey anyway." The staff wouldn't let him back to see his mom, but maybe they could arrange a facetime or something the next time Sharon was awake. There _would_ be a next time, Andy was beginning to believe that. He needed to talk to her doctor too, find out just how far they had to go, and if this was really a recovery or just a reprieve. He would do _that_ before he left.

As they left the room, Rusty shrugged at him. "Hey, don't look at me. _You _married her."

Andy snorted. "Well, she's _your_ mother."

"Yeah." Rusty shook his head. He sighed. "But dude, she really has a point. You seriously need to shave." The corners of his mouth twitched. He cast a sideways look at his adopted father. "How long are you giving it before you go back in there?"

Andy looked at his watch. "She'll be out cold in about five minutes. That gives me time to talk to her doctor. I figure she will be out for a while, and _that_ gives you time to drive home, grab a change of clothes and my shaving kit and bring it back."

"I'm on it." Rusty grinned. "She said I had to make you sleep, eat, and shower. She never said _where_ those things had to happen." His eyes sparkled. "I suggest we take advantage of it."

"Good man!" Andy slapped his shoulder. "I knew I could count on you. Next time she won't be so easy to fool, so this will be our little secret."

"You don't actually think we have any secrets from her, right?" Rusty looked up at him, brows lifted in askance.

"Not a chance in hell, but it's important that we keep trying." At the end of the hall they parted. Andy shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey, check on her parents for me, will you? Before you go. Make sure that Emily and Ricky are keeping an eye on them."

"What am I?" Rusty groaned, teasing him. "Your personal gopher boy?"

"PA, Rusty." Andy smirked at him. "They are called PAs." He shook his head. "Now _go_. The clock is ticking."

When he reached the waiting room. Rusty found the first empty chair and fell into it. He leaned forward and put his head between his knees. He felt like he was going to be sick. The relief and the adrenaline, all of it swept through him in a combination that left him dizzy. "They are making me crazy," he muttered.

"No kidding." Provenza snorted. "It's about time you young ones started catching up with the rest of us. They made us nuts a long time ago." He shook his head. "How was she?"

Rusty lifted his head and looked at the older man beside him. "Giving orders."

"Well." Provenza slapped his hand against his leg. "We can all go home. Doesn't take a doctor to know she's going to be just fine."

There were chuckles all around but Rusty groaned. "_How_ did I end up mixed up with you people?"

"Rusty." Miranda Campbell smiled gently at him. "You've been listening to that story for more than a day. You haven't figured it out yet? It's called a family, honey, and this one is crazier than most."

"No." Rusty looked back at her. One corner of his mouth quirked upward. "You people are without a doubt the _weirdest_ family on earth."

"Yes." Joseph Campbell looked up at him. A grin tugged at his mouth. His eyes twinkled. It was obvious where Sharon had gotten her humor. "But we're your family."


	47. Chapter 47

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 46<strong>

When next she woke, Sharon found herself in the same hospital room, but the lights had been dimmed. She had no sense of time, and there were no windows to the outside world. She could only guess that the day must have grown late. Or early. This time she could feel the throbbing of the incision sites, at least what she assumed were the incisions. The pain radiated to her left side. She took thin, shallow breaths. Instinct had her feeling along the bed beside her until her hand wrapped around the small, thin control for the morphine pump. She breathed a little easier as she pressed the button.

Her eyes closed. She waited, measuring each breath, as by slow degrees the worst of the pain began to recede. They had obviously reduced her medication, and she realized that must be a good sign. Well, that and the fact that she was conscious enough to _know_ that they had reduced it.

As it took effect, she allowed her eyes to wander the room. They didn't wander very far. There was a chair pulled close to her bed. Her husband sat slumped in it, his head propped in his hand. He was sleeping, and exhausted on top of it, if the snoring was any indication. He'd managed to change his clothes, and shave, she noticed. Still, his t-shirt was rumpled, as were his jeans. He had been there a while, and if he was sleeping this deeply, she doubted that he'd gone home. Sharon really didn't think that he would, but it had been worth a try.

While she watched him, she tried to shift her position in the bed. She had been laying too long on her back. Sharon hummed, the sound sharp and closer to a whimper as pain swept through her. This was certainly no cesarean from which she was going to bounce back quickly.

Andy came awake at the sound. His eyes went immediately to the bed. Her brows were drawn together in a frown, and she was breathing quickly, thin shallow breaths. Her hands were fisted in the blankets on either side of her body. Andy pushed out of his chair and quickly crossed the single step that separated them. He eased onto the edge of the bed. "Hey." He loosened her hand from around the blanket and pressed the morphine pump into it. "It's okay," he said quietly, voice still thick with sleep, "you're alright." His other hand brushed her hair away from her face. He let his hand linger there, fingers combing gently through her hair, thumb stroking her temple.

She hummed again. "Trying to move is not a good idea." Sharon took a thin breath. She didn't want to be too medicated, not yet anyway. She wanted to see him. Her eyes fluttered open again and she looked up at him. "Hi."

When she seemed to relax, Andy lifted her hand in his. He drew it to his lips. "Hi." Even in the dim lighting of the room, he could make out the shifting colors of her eyes. His thumb stroked the back of her hand while he inhaled deeply. He never thought he'd see them again. His hand slid out of her hair to stroke the familiar lines of her face, as though committing them to memory. "_Sharon._" It wasn't over, and the pain wasn't gone, not completely. It was still there, that terror, the sense of loss that had settled over him. It was a physical ache, and not one he thought would be leaving him anytime soon. Imagining a world without her, it had ripped at him, and left him torn and bleeding.

"Shhh…" She crooned quietly, and tugged her hand out of his. She cupped his face. "I'm still here." The pain in his eyes made her heart ache. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "Andy."

The whisper of his name, the inflection that only she used. His eyes closed. It shuddered through him, just how close to losing her he'd come. "Barely," he said roughly. "You're barely here." His jaw clenched. When he looked at her again, his throat ached. Emotion burned behind his eyes. He shook his head, fought through the thick lump in his throat. "They had to operate a couple of times. We almost lost you a few times during the first operation…and then…" He couldn't even say it. He looked down instead. His head inclined, he turned his face toward her palm. "I signed the DNR and took you off the vent. We were saying goodbye."

Her own heart clenched at that. She hadn't realized, the brief time that she was awake earlier, just how bad it must be, or how traumatic for everyone. Yes, he had practically collapsed against her, shaking in a mixture of relief and pain, but there wasn't much time to talk about it. Not before the kids arrived, or the medication pulled her under again. "How bad is it?" she asked, using deliberate ease. Hurting him further was the last thing that she wanted, but she needed to know, and she thought, maybe he needed to talk it out.

He took her hand in his again and let his gaze fall. His fingers stroked the delicate lines, from knuckles to nail. "The bullet busted a couple of ribs, nicked the heart. There were a couple of big veins or something involved, hell, I don't know. It was bad enough. You kept coding. They lost you in the ambulance and got you back, again in the ER, and again in surgery. One of the grafts, or stitches, or whatever was leaking, they had to take you back in a second time." He sighed. "They found some damage to your lung they missed the first time around. After they fixed that, you started to improve. You're not out of the woods yet, not completely," Andy shrugged. "They just think that you really have a fighting chance now."

"Oh, well…" She managed a small smile. His pain was a tangible thing. She turned her hand in his and laced their fingers together. "A fighting chance, hm? I suppose that I'll have to do something about improving on that." Sharon tugged on his arm. "Come here," she beckoned quietly.

"No." He leaned back. "You need to rest. You've been through a hell of a lot." He was afraid to touch her more than he had. Afraid that she would break, shatter somehow, and he would lose her. Andy didn't think that he could bear to have her slipping away now, not when he had her back. Not that he could have survived it before. "You should hit the pump again. Let yourself rest, Sharon."

"I will." She tugged on his arm before. "Andy, we've done this before. It's okay. Come here." When he didn't move, she drew her bottom lip between her teeth again. "Please?"

His jaw clenched. He sighed as he stood up. He toed out of his shoes and moved the tube for the morphine pump aside. Together they eased her over and he stretched out on the bed alongside her. Shifting more onto her right side, without actually rolling completely on to it, actually caused the incision to pull painfully, at least initially, but then it was a relief. Between it and the broken ribs, she was in quite a bit of pain, but they hit the morphine pump again and it began to recede. She settled her head against his shoulder and drew his arm around her. She hummed as she felt his warmth settle around her. She could feel the tension in him. Her hand stroked his arm.

"I'm still here," she murmured, eyes already closed.

"Yeah." He turned his face into her hair. It still lacked its usual luster. But she was soft and warm against him, and alive. So very, delightfully, alive. His hand cupped her chin and tipped her head back. "I love you," he said, voice thick and hitching slightly in the silence of the room.

Her lips were gentle against the tip of his chin. "I know." Sharon settled her forehead against the curve of his cheek and sighed softly. "I am always going to love you. In this world or the next, I hope you know that."

There was a certain amount of uncertainty in their lives. Danger in their jobs. Hadn't this proved that? Neither of them was above it, or immune to it. There would come a time when they would have to exist apart. That was a reality that they could not escape. For today, however, they had managed to avoid it.

He grunted quietly, a sound that was almost a hum. His lips moved against the top of her head. "I know it," he promised. "It's just not something I like to think about. I came too damned close to it this time." Andy kissed the top of her head. "I can't do without you. You're my best friend."

Sharon's hand tightened around his arm, drew it closer around her. "I know the feeling." They were lovers and they were parents, and after her children, he came first in her heart, always. He was also the first person that she wanted to share everything with. There was more that she wanted to say, but she felt so heavy and tired. Her eyes were closed again. "What time is it?" She asked instead.

"Late." Andy closed his eyes and lay his cheek atop her head. "I sent the kids home. Everyone was exhausted, and Julio's mom needed a break. She's had Joey for us while we've been here. Emily and Buzz picked him up. He was going to stay at the house with the kids, and keep him tomorrow so they can come back. Nic offered to take him, but I think being at home would be better for him. Buzz has watched him before, so…"

The very idea of laughing hurt. Instead, Sharon made a soft, amused sound. "I suppose then that they finally came clean?" She couldn't believe that her daughter really thought she was getting away with _that_ all this time. Not that she was doing anything wrong, of course, they were both adults. It was the fact that they thought they needed to hide it, and actually thought that they _were _hiding it.

"You could say that." Andy smiled against her hair. "That cat is definitely out of its bag." He chuckled quietly. "Rick's girlfriend is here too. Probably not how you wanted to meet her. Seems like a good girl. I barely spoke to her, so don't ask me anything." He knew his wife only too well. "Your folks are here too. They're staying at a hotel nearby. Your dad was too tired to drive all the way out to Echo Park."

"I want to see him." She had been nodding along to all of that. When he paused long enough for her to interrupt, she did. Sharon tipped her head back to look at him. "Joey, I want to see him." Her baby would be so frightened. He wouldn't know what was happening.

Andy sighed. "They're not going to let him back here. As soon as they get you into a real room, we'll smuggle him in. We'll do a video conference tomorrow, let him see you. It's the best I can do. He's too young."

"I know." It didn't make it any easier. She would have to wait. She let her eyes drift closed again. "I'm glad that you stayed," She admitted quietly.

"I wasn't going anywhere. You knew that." His hand settled against her stomach, well below the incisions. "You're stuck with me lady, whether you like it or not."

"Oh. I like it." A small, tired smile curved her lips. "I like it a lot."

He held her as she began to relax. Her breathing slowly became deeper and more rhythmic. Andy knew that he should move, but he didn't want to disturb her, and if he was honest about, there was no way in hell he was letting her go anytime soon. His last thought, as his own eyes drifted closed, was that the nurses would have to drag him from that bed.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

Three days after waking Sharon was no closer to being let out of ICU. She was beginning to go a little stir crazy there, at least when she was awake long enough to know that she was feeling cooped up. She slept quite a lot these days. It was a combination of the medications they had her on and her body's need to recover. It wasn't often that she was alone, her husband and children saw to that. They sat with her in shifts. Andy was with her most often, and typically throughout the night. She managed, finally, to convince him to go home the previous evening. He was exhausted enough to cave, although that didn't happen until near midnight.

Andy finally relented in leaving her alone for a few hours. Not before making the nurse swear that she would call if Sharon even so much as sneezed. She loved that man, really she did, but he could be such a mother hen. It was as frustrating as it was adorable. Sharon slept for a little while after he left, but then the medication wore off and she was awake. She didn't feel in pain enough to call for the nurse. She thought she could manage until her next dose. She lay there instead, reading on the iPad that Rusty brought her, or attempting to dose.

At just a few minutes before five in the morning, the door to her room opened. Rusty poked his head inside and grinned. "Hey."

"Hi." Her eyes lit immediately. A warm smile curved her lips. "Rusty, it's very early. What are you doing here?" Not that she really minded, but he had classes and homework, and she didn't want any of it suffering or being neglected because of her.

"I have something for you." He hung back in the door. "So, before you get too excited… we can only stay for a couple of minutes, and it can't come inside the room. Those were Marisa's rules." Marisa was the nightshift nurse. They'd gotten to know her a bit during Sharon's stay in ICU. She was sympathetic. Rusty grinned again, despite the limitations he was putting on her gift. "Oh, and Andy has no idea we're here, so… yeah." He stepped back and let the door close again. Rusty was out of sight for only a moment, when he reappeared, he stepped up to the large glass window through which they had spent so many hours watching Sharon linger between life and death. He had Joey in his arms.

Her heart fluttered. She pressed her fingers to her lips when they began to tremble. Tears blurred her vision. Sharon lifted her other hand in a wave. She had seen Joey over facetime, but it was just not the same. Even seeing him through the glass was not quite enough, but at least he was here and in person. When he pressed his hand to the glass and leaned toward it, a wide smile on his face, she gave a watery chuckle. He was talking to her, although she couldn't hear the words. Then Rusty had his phone out and was calling her. "Have I ever told you how very much I love you?"

"I think it's been covered." Rusty smiled and put the phone on speaker. "Joey, talk to mom."

"Momma I miss you." He had a hand pressed to the glass, and looked between it and the phone as he spoke. "When are you coming home?"

"Oh baby I know," she crooned quietly. "I miss you too. It's going to be a little while. The doctor isn't ready for me to leave yet." She smiled sadly at her boy. "Soon, Joey, very soon I hope. Are you being good for Rusty and Daddy?"

"Um…" He hedged a little bit on that. Then he smiled at her. The look was all mischief. It was all _Flynn_. His brown eyes sparkled. "Mostly good! For Emmy and Ricky too! Emmy and Ricky visit too. We went to the park. Ricky got me a new car." He sighed. "Momma… Ricky doesn't do the story voices, and Emmy doesn't do them right, and daddy came home after story time."

"Honey, you have to be patient with Emily and Ricky." She smiled warmly at him. "They're still learning." She glanced at Rusty who was trying not to laugh. "I tell you what, Rusty will call me tonight at story time, and we'll do it together." She would get Rusty to make sure that he chose a book that she could download to the iPad.

"Okay." Joey sighed again, sounding aggrieved. Then he smiled brightly. "I hit the ball!"

She laughed, and managed to suppress the wince at the pain that it caused her. He was playing t-ball this spring, and his father was beside himself at the idea. Sharon listened as he told her about that, and Finn, and a dozen other things. Joey jumped from one subject to another and circled back a few times as he struggled to fill her in on everything that was happening in his little life. He was so precious and perfect, and wonderful, she felt tears filling her eyes again and closed them as he spoke. Sharon hummed and nodded. She replied at the right junctures, and laughed quietly through it all.

When she began to pale and waver, looking strained and tired, Rusty called the visit to an end. "Hey Joey, Mom's gotta take a nap now. They need to give her some medicine. You ready to book it pal? We're going to go get some breakfast."

"Pancakes!" Joey hummed in an almost perfect imitation of his mother. "Momma, Rusty take me pancakes."

"We're meeting Emily and Ricky for breakfast," Rusty told her. "They're going to bring you something, and then I thought I'd take Joey out to do something fun. Work off that breakfast."

"Good idea." Sharon chuckled. Joey would be bouncing off the walls after a full breakfast of sugary, pancake goodness. "You two have fun. We'll talk later, Rusty." She pressed her fingers to her lips again, this time blowing a kiss to Joey. "Bye baby. I love you."

"Love you, momma." Joey touched the glass again, and then wiggled to get out of Rusty's arms. He was a big boy now, he didn't need to be carried everywhere.

"I'd better go," Rusty said. "Maybe we can do this again. I have class tomorrow, but Emily can bring him. We'll see, okay?" If they didn't get Marisa in trouble for sneaking Joey in during the night shift hours.

"That would be perfect." Her smile softened. "Rusty, thank you," she said thickly. It was a pleasant surprise, and just exactly what she had needed. She lifted her hand in another wave. _I love you_, she mouthed.

Rusty smiled as he put his phone away, tucking it into his pocket. He prompted Joey to wave one last time, and then he led the boy away. Once they were out of sight, she tipped her head back and closed her eyes. She pressed a hand to her forehead and took a thin, shuddering breath. Her body was throbbing. The pain that had been only a dull roar earlier was now a full tidal wave. She didn't have to reach for the call button, her door opened first. The nurse appeared, medication in hand, and injected it into the IV.

Her eyes remained closed, and as the medicine took effect, Sharon felt herself drifting again. When next they opened, she realized that hours must have passed. Andy sat with her, in the chair beside her bed. His legs were folded, one foot resting on his ankle. He had a file in his hands and his dark reading glasses were perched on the tip of his nose. There was a legal pad balanced against his bent knee, and a pen in hand while he made notes. A smile tugged at her lips.

"You're working at a time like this," She drawled, voice still thick with sleep, "what kind of screw off Lieutenant are you?" Sharon hummed. "If you're not careful, you're going to get yourself promoted."

Andy snorted. "You're still nuts, and right now, I think you're high. It'll never happen." He closed the file and put it, and the legal pad, on the table beside her bed. He let his foot drop and leaned forward in his chair. "They only keep me around because they're afraid of you."

"Hm." She shrugged and smiled. "If that is what you choose to believe. I know the truth."

"Oh yeah?" He grinned crookedly at her. "What's that? I'm dying to know." Andy pushed out of the chair and sat on the edge of her bed. He reached out and pushed her hair back from her face.

"Taylor may have believed that you would fail. You might have even agreed with him. The truth is, you're good at what you do. You like it, and you _want_ to do well. It shows." She smiled brightly at him. "Instead of failing, you surpassed even their wildest predictions. I knew that you would."

Andy leaned down. He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I love you, but you're really loopy right now." He kissed her smiling lips again before he leaned back. "I heard you had a visitor this morning?"

"Yes." Her eyes lit with joy at the memory. "It was perfect." Sharon's brows drew together. "What time is it? Rusty said that Emily and Ricky would be by…"

"Almost noon." Andy grinned at her. "They were here for a little while. You were in some pain when you got your morning meds. You slept right through the next dose. You needed the rest," he told her.

"I suppose." Sharon's hand stroked down his arm. "You didn't have to stop. Don't let me interrupt your work. I'll probably be asleep again in a few minutes anyway."

"It's not important." His finger traced the length of her nose. "Just some busy work. My guys have everything under control. It doesn't matter at all." The light in his dark eyes was soft as he watched her. "I'm looking at what matters."

"Hm." She curled a hand around his wrist and turned her face into his hand. Her lips brushed his palm. "You do say the sweetest things, Mr. Flynn."

"It's all about keeping Mrs. Flynn happy." He leaned down again. This time he nosed her hair aside and pressed a kiss to her neck.

"Oh." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes sparkled. "So that explains the glasses."

Andy snorted a laugh when her brows bobbed. "You are trouble."

Her eyes closed again. Sharon hummed. "You like it."

"I love it." He kissed her again. "Just like I love you."

She started laughing. At his puzzled look, Sharon shook her head. "I'm sorry honey. I was just thinking back. Before that night in the parking garage. I was imagining the looks on both our faces if we had been told that we'd be here now." Her thumb stroked the curve of his cheek. "I know how lucky I am to have you. How lucky _we_ are. Joey and I. Thank you, for choosing us, for being here. For being so stubborn and relentless, and starting us on this crazy ride"

Andy stood up. He toed out of his shoes and eased into the bed with her. He pulled her into his arms. "It wasn't a choice," he rumbled quietly. "It was just the way it was going to be. The ride isn't over yet."

They couldn't promise forever. They knew the reality all too well. Even still, hope remained. It wasn't the ending that it could have been. Wild though it might have been, with all of its twists and turns, theirs was a story that was still only just beginning.


	48. Epilogue

**A Story of Us**

**by Kadi**

**Rated T**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. It's just my favorite sandbox to play in.

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"Sorry!" He stepped through the sliding glass door and onto the deck. "I know, I _know_," he added when his sister glared at him. "I'm sorry, okay? Traffic was bad coming out of LA. I'm sorry." He bent and kissed his mother's cheek.

"You're here now." Sharon smiled as she rose. She wrapped him in a hug. "That's what matters."

"Oh sure." Emily rolled her eyes. "If I had been late, I never would have heard the end of it. Ricky?"

"Definitely." He shook his head. "I'd still be hearing it. There would be a lecture on time management and consideration of others. Rusty?"

"I'm never late." He smirked at them as he lifted his glass to his lips. "It's not a problem I've ever had." He looked over at his brother, the recently arrived and perpetually late Joey. "What happened?"

He sighed. His shoulders slumped. "That woman is going to drive me bat-shit—"

"Joseph." Their mother's brows rose. Her voice dipped. "Language."

He felt like groaning. Instead, he just shoved his hands into his pockets. Joseph Michael Flynn was his father's son. Right down to the frustrated bowing of his head. He looked up at her through his lashes and grinned crookedly. "Do you wanna hear it or not?"

Her lips pursed. She folded her arms across her chest. "Let's hear it." There was a sparkle in her green eyes. Her youngest child, the source of such delight was often the source of a never ending amount of frustration too. Just like his father. It always amazed her that Joseph could be so much like Andy, given the true nature of his parentage. Somehow these two men had managed to blow the nature versus nurture argument right out the window. At least as it pertained to them.

"Sykes," he bit out. "I was getting ready to leave, and I'll be damned…"

"Yes?" His mother drew the syllable out, even as her head inclined. The tone was a warning.

His eyes narrowed. Joey wasn't so bold as to glare at his mother, but he was tempted to run a hand through his hair. "_Captain_ Sykes," he managed to grit out, at least with enough respect so as not to incur any further wrath, "called me into her office to go over questions she had about three different cases that are going to trial soon."

"Dammit Sharon." Andy shook his head where he sat. "Let the boy explain." It earned him a look from his wife, but he simply grinned in response.

As his younger brother continued explaining his tardiness, Rusty shook his head. He could have been transported back twenty years, watching the same scene in the old Major Crimes Murder Room. He looked across the table where they were all gathered and met his brother-in-law's gaze. When Buzz just rolled his eyes, Rusty laughed quietly. At least he wasn't alone.

Joey stood there, having come directly from work, suit jacket gone and tie loosened. He had his shirt sleeves rolled up, hands tucked into his pockets. Occasionally one of them would appear as he gestured, explaining some point or another. Rusty had to laugh.

Of course, Joey was the cop. Somehow, he saw that one coming before the kid was even five. He was his father's son, but more than that, he'd grown up in a house with two parents and a number of _honorary _aunts and uncles in the profession. It was only natural that he would follow them. He'd gone to college first, Sharon wouldn't accept anything less. So here he was, twenty-five, and recently made a detective.

That promotion had come with a transfer.

They'd all held their breath when he dropped that news on them. They expected Andy to have something to say about Joey going into Internal Affairs. He'd laughed. Long and hard, and then shook his head. _"__Only the best things come out of IA_," he'd told them.

It was why, Rusty knew, he always got excused when he was late. They understood it. The ever changing schedules, the last minute cancellations, and showing up almost an hour late to family gatherings. Yeah, they got it. It was the life they had both lived until they had both retired. First Andy, and then Sharon within the same year.

They hadn't moved north until Joey went away to school. When he moved east to go to NYU, they sold the house. They bought a little cottage north of San Francisco. It was on the cliffs, and surrounded by trees. They left Los Angeles behind, with all of its politics and murders. They found a place where they could simply be, just the two of them, and their children when they visited.

With Mark and Nicole living in Portland now it was a nice, centralized location. They all got together when they could, as often as they could. Unfortunately with the busy lives that they all led that was usually relegated to holidays and special occasions. Such as anniversaries, like the one that they were celebrating today. Their parent's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary had brought all of them together.

It was a simple affair, a family dinner. Their parents hadn't wanted anything elaborate. They only wanted each other, their kids, and the grandkids. Even still it was quite a crowd. Enough to keep the evening light and boisterous. Even after Joey settled in, the bantering continued. Emily and Nicole were never going to allow Ricky or Charlie to get the better of them, no matter how old they got. Each side tried to pull him or Joey into it. They had learned, at least, to dodge the attempts and amuse themselves with watching.

Later, much later, Rusty took a walk along the cliffs. There was an arm looped through his. "I've got something for you."

"Oh?" She tried to play coy, but chuckled instead. Sharon was almost seventy-five now, and she leaned into his side more as they walked than she once had. "Rusty, I think the package under your arm gave it way."

"Funny lady, such a comedian." He tossed a side-ways smirk at her.

"Well, where do you think you got it from?" They stopped walking and she turned to smile at him. "I thought we told you kids no gifts?"

"You did." He held it out anyway. "It wasn't for the anniversary. The timing just worked out that way. I wanted you to see it first."

Her eyes narrowed. The light was fading, and her eyes were not as good as they used to be. "Let's go back onto the deck." She slipped her arm into his and walked back with him, the short distance to the cottage.

She took a seat on the old wooden swing, one of the things they'd bought with them from the old LA house. It had been refurbished some years before, but it was still basically the same swing. Rusty sat beside her and held his breath as she opened the parcel.

There was a book nestled within. Sharon slipped the paper away and turned it over in her hands. Hard bound, with a cover in deep blue and silver. She glanced at Rusty only briefly before reading the title.

_The Weirdest Parents on the Planet - Life after the streets_

"You did it." Her eyes widened. She lay the book in her lap and stared at him. "_Rusty_." She reached out and cupped his cheek. Nicole had always been perfectly happy in Marketing. Charlie was their architect. Emily managing a successful Auction House in Los Angeles, while Ricky was getting ready to sell a third software firm that he had built from the ground up. Joey was their police officer, and Rusty… the child they'd chosen, who had by some miracle chosen them, found that his talent lay in the written word.

He began writing while he was still in college, and discovered that he had a passion for it. His degree was in Behavioral Science. He'd gone into Counseling, driven to help others like him, in the same way that Doctor Joe had once helped him. The writing was something that he had done on the side. His first book was published just before his thirty-fifth birthday. He hadn't stopped since. He'd had some success, this boy of hers. For years, though, he talked about sitting down and telling his story. He wanted to use his craft and skill with words, along with his experience as a Counselor to tell that story in such a way that it would help others. That there would be hope for boys like him, abandoned and forgotten. For those that didn't end up in the wrong place at the right time.

There were tears in her eyes. "That's not all." Rusty tapped the book again. If she was already tearing up at the title, he could only imagine what she would do next.

She studied him for a moment, and then let her gaze drop to the item in her hands again. Slowly, she opened the cover and paged through to the dedication.

_Family isn__'__t always easily defined. I learned this the hard way. Songs and poems tell us that families are created because two people fell in love. That was how mine happened too, but mostly, I have a family because two people took a chance. It__'__s not a chance that everyone gets, but I was lucky enough to get mine. Hope can sometimes find us even in the darkest circumstances. Oddly enough, I got even luckier than that. I had Sharon and Andy. Or as I like to think of them, Mom and Dad._

She laughed out loud. Sharon pressed a hand to her mouth. "You sneaky little monkey." She swept her fingers beneath her eyes, but it didn't stop the tears. "He's going to love that."

"I hope so." Rusty nudged her shoulder with his. "It's too late to change it now. They hit the shelves in a month. I almost didn't let it go to the editor. I sent a copy of it to Doctor Joe first." The man was retired now, but he had been glad to read it. "It got his seal of approval, so we'll see." It was a departure for him. His previous books had been fiction. Based in truth. Mysteries mostly, things he had seen and heard, stories they'd told over the years.

"Rusty," She wrapped her arm through his. "You wrote this for you. More than anything, it was for you. Not for us, and not for anyone else. If you're happy with it, that's all that is important."

He glanced away while he thought about it. He nodded. "I am." When he looked back, he was smiling again. "It's, well a lot of it is about my other mom, and what happened on the street. Most of it is us. You know, our story. Mainly that first year, and… well, I don't have to tell you about any of that."

"No." Sharon stood up. "Come on, let's go and show it to Andy. He's going to love it."

"Will he?" Rusty looked nervous again. "I mean, I know you will. I _know_ that, Sharon. I know that you're always proud of us, but do you really think—"

"Yes." She cupped his cheek again. Even now, twenty-some-odd years after he'd come to them, she could still see the frightened boy inside the man that he had become. The one that was desperate for approval and longing to make them proud of him. They didn't see him quite so often as they had those first few years, but there were glimpses. Rusty knew that he was loved, and he knew that they were _always_ proud of him. But he had doubts, just as all of them did, that liked to creep in at the oddest of moments. "Rusty, you know, he's going to want you to sign it. Actually," she shook her head. "If I know my husband, he's going to want his own copy, and he's going to expect you to sign _that_ because he isn't going to share it with me."

Rusty laughed as he stood. "Yeah. That's why I brought two." He shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked at her. "I know what I said a minute ago, but I really do hope that you like it. I hope I got it _right_."

"You did. It was your story, Rusty. Only you can tell it. I know that I'm going to love it."

"It is," he said. "But it isn't. It's _our_ story. You know. The story of us, all of us."

"Then I know that it will be perfect." She'd always had faith in his work, but this was such a part of him. She could understand his reticence. He would have poured his heart into it. Just as he had poured his heart into his first novel. That one had been a catharsis for him as much as she thought this one must have been.

He'd written it the summer that they lost Provenza. Rusty took it especially hard. They all had, but he'd had so few people in his life that he counted as important, as family. It was the first big loss of those he knew he could count on. He'd mourned with her when she lost her parents, first her father and then her mother, but Rusty hadn't known Miranda and Joseph as he'd known Louis.

It was his heart that took him from them. That big, old, wonderfully cantankerous heart of his. A massive heart attack. It seemed to come out of no where for all of them, despite his age. One moment, the Murder room was filled with the laughter, and the next he was gone.

Oddly enough he even had his stapler in his hand when it happened. Granted, he was shaking it at Buzz, but he'd had it, and that's what counted.

Sharon didn't think her husband had gotten over that, even now, some years later. There were moments when he'd tell her something, some story or another, and he would reach for his phone as though he needed back up with the details. He would catch himself though, and the sparkle in his eyes would dim... And then he would go on, but the moment was there, and so was the grief.

He once told her that when their time came, she had to let him go first. He came too close to losing her once and he wasn't built for it. He said that she was the strong one. He didn't know that it was his strength that brought her this far. She found something precious and unique that night in the parking garage, so many years ago. He chose her, even underneath his belief that it was a miracle she could love him, she knew that he was the miracle. He was something rare. A truly good man.

~_FIN_

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><p><strong>AN:**If you've gotten this far, then I have to say thank you... again. Mainly for sticking with this wild and crazy ride. I know that it has been a long one. You rock!


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